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CALIFORNIA 
MOTORLOGUES 


Reprinted  from  the 

Automotive  Section  of  the 


^ani 


miner 


Suggestions  for  One-Day  and  Week-End  Motor 

Trips  on  the  Highways  and  Byways 

of  California 


By  E.  V.  WELLER 


Maps  and  Layouts  by  V.  Nahl. 

Cover  Design  by  Jack  Lustig. 

•Photographs  by  E.  V.  Weller. 

Art  Work  by  "The  Examiner"  Staff,  under  the  supervision  of  E.  Dunand. 


Copyright,  1921,  by  San  Francisco  "Examiner,' 


\ 


c.^ '  ^^' 


^ 


+ 


.Index  to  Motorlogues 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  THE  PENINSULA. 


Page 

Golden      Gate      Park 6 

Seeing    San     Fran^isco 7 

Moss    Beach    and    Halt    Moon    Bay. , ■ 8 

Saratoga    and    the    Land    of    Blossoms 9 

San    Jfase's    Mountain    Park    at    Alum    Rock 10 

A    Trip   to   the    Stars   from    Mt.    Hamilton li 

Santa   Cruz    and    the    Big    Basin 12 

Out    Where    the    Wildf lowers    Bloom 14 

Soledad    Mission    and    the    Pinnacles IS 

In    the    Footsteps   of   the    Padres 13 

On   the   Tra^i   of    Robert   Louis  Stevenson 45 

E)    Camtno    Rtal   and   the    Ridge    Route 50 

ALAMEDA  COUNTY  TRIPS. 

The   Scenic    Paths    Around    Oakland 16 

Plcknicking    Days    in    Niles    Canyon 17 

Redwood    Canyon    and    Mt.    Diablo 24 

The    Circle    of    Mt.    Diablo 25 

The    Berkeley    Hills  and   the    U.   C.    Canpus 33 

At   the    Home   of   >jaquin    Miller 47 

El   Camino   Real   and   the   Ridge   Route 50 

MARIN  COUNTY  AND  THE  NORTHERN  COAST. 

Fort   Barrs    and    Point    Lobos 18 

Mill    Valley   and    Muir    Woods 19 

The    Petrified    Forest    22 

The    Geysers   of   Sonoma    County 23 

The    Circle    of    Mt.    Tamalpais 21 

Green    Valley   Falls   and   the    Vaca   Valley : 20 

Up   Hill   and    Down    Dale  in   Lake  County 26 

Over  the   Scenic   Coast    Route    North 27 

Mendocino   County    30 

Where   S!r    Francis    Drake    Landed 31 

Fort    Ross    and    the    Russian    River 32 

The    Geysers   and   the    Land   of   Silverado 44 

The    Ukiah    to    Tahoe    Highway 28 

Sonoma  and   Jack   London's   Valley  of   the    Moon 46 

The    Land   of   Mistletoe   and    Red    Berries 37 

SACRAMENTO  VALLEY  AND  THE  HIGH  SIERRAS. 

The    River    Road    lo    Sacramento 29 

The    Ukiah    to    Tahoe    Highway , 28 

The    Feather   River    Country 34 

The   Lake  of  the  Sky  and  the   High  Sierras 35 

The    Calaverai    Grove    of    Big    Trees 36 

Sacramento    Valley   and    Mt.    Lassen 38 

In    the   Valley   of    Yosemite 39 

Tioga    Pass,    Road    of   a   Thousand    Wonders 40 

Mt.    Shasta    and    the    California    Alps 41 

In  the  Land  of  the  Cities  That  Were 42 

Frank    Norris    in    California 43 

The    Foothills  of    Mariposa   County 48 

In  the   Land   of   Bret   Harte   and    Mark  Twain 49 

HISTORICAL  MOTORLOGUES. 

In  the   Footsteps  of  the   Padres , 13 

Where  Sir   Francis   Drake  Anchored 31 

In  the  Land  of  the  Cities  That  Were 42 

In  the   Land  of  Bret   Harte  and    Mark  Twain 49 

The   Foothills  of   Mariposa   County 48 

Fort   Ross  and  the   Russian    River 32 

LITERARY   MOTORLOGUES. 

At  the   Home  of  Joaquin    Miller 47 

The    Geysers   and   the    Land    of   Silverado ". 44 

On   the   Trail    of    Robert    Louis    Stevenson 45 

Sonoma   and   Jack   London's   Valley  of   the    Moon 46 

In  the   Land   of   Bret   Harte   and    Mark  Twain 49 

Frank    Norris    fn    California 43 


INTRODUCTION 


IN  "CALIFORNIA  MOTORLOGUES"  The 
Examiner    sets    before    California    motorists    and 
visitors  one-day  and  week-end  automobile  trips  to 
points  of  interest  in  and  about  San  Francisco  and  North- 
em  California. 

The  trips  have  been  mapped  to  sections  of  scenic 
beauty,  points  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  Cali- 
fornia and  localities  that  are  endeared  to  book  lovers  the 
country  over  on  account  of  their  being  the  center  of 
interest  around  which  their  favorite  author  wove  his  tale 
of  romance  or  adventure. 

These  Motorlogues  are  reproductions  from  The 
Examiner's  Automotive  Section  and  are  a  prominent 
feature  of  this  section  every  Sunday.  A  new  and  inter- 
esting trip  is  offered  each  week. 

These  Motorlogues  are  only  one  of  the  many  inter- 
esting features  that  are  offered  car  owners  in  the  Auto- 
motive Section  of  The  Examiner. 

CHRIS.  J.  HELIN. 

Automobile  Editor. 


'%XAMINER"  MOtORLOGUE  ROUTE  MAP  OF  GOLDEN  GATE  PARK 

San    Francisco's  famous    Park    is  one   of  the  chief   attraction    of  the  city,  not  only  to  the  tourist,  but  to  the  resident  motorists 
as  well.     As  an  example  of  landscape  gardening   par  excellence  it  is  known  round  the  world. 


'SEEING  SAN  FRANCISCO'  IN  AN  AUTOMOBILE— AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Here   is  a  jaunt  over  the  city   highways  that  offers  a   pleasant    day's    excursion    for    the    motorist.      "The    Examiner"    scout 
car,   a   Paige,  mapped  out  the  trip. 


f~\  V  all  the  cities  of  California 
"^  there  is  none  about  which 
more  romance  has  been  woven 
than  our  own  San  Francisco.  It 
was  "the  city"  of  the  days  of  '4't 
Crowds  of  miners  poured  in  every 
week-end  from  "the  diggin's"  to 
spend  their  treasure.  It  has  been  an  in- 
spiration to  a  Bret  Harte,  a  Mark  Twain 
and  a  Robert  Louis  Stevenson.  The 
glamor  of  the  days  of  gold,  the  thrilling 
talcs  of  the  Argonauts,  the  stress  of  the 
period  of  Vigilantes,  of  gunmen  and  gam- 
blers, the  hour  of  trial  by  fire  and  the 
inspiration  of  the  rebuilding,  all  have  been 
part  and  parcel  of  the  warp  and  woof  that 
have  made  San  Francisco  stand  out  apart 
as  a  place  distinctive,  original,  a  "City 
That  Knows  How." 

Start    at    the    Ferry    Building,    drive    up 
Market  street  and  along  Kearny,  and  you 


A/J///?^  i>a.£r,e^S 


find  yourself  in  the  haunts  of  Stevenson, 
and  there's  a  monument  to  his  memory  in 
old  Portsmouth  Square.  Drive  on  through 
Stockton  street,  and  Chinatown  with  all  its 
mellifluous    scents    and    sounds    appears. 

The  Civic  Center  is  the  ne.xt  objective. 
Then  out  Van  Ness  to  the  bay.  Stop  at 
the  Palace  of  Fine  Arts  and  recall  that 
Ijeautiful  dream  city  that  was,  the  Panama- 
Pacific  Exposition,  then  take  the  highway 
through  the  Presidio  and  proceed  out  on 
the  scenic  highway  that  looks  out  on  the 
Golden  Gate  to  the  end  of  the  Lincoln 
highway  and  the   Municipal  Golf  Links. 


Golden  Gate  Park  is  the  next  place  on 
the  list.  Then  we  speed  to  the  Cliff 
House,  the  Seal  Rocks  and  Sutro  Heights, 
then  back  on  the  Great  Highway  and 
Junipero  Serra  boulevard  to  Colma,  that 
wrote  much   prize   ring   history. 

Ingleside  Terraces,  St  Francis  Wood, 
Westwood  Park  and  Forest  Hill  are 
passed  on  the  way  to  the  Twin  Peaks  and 
a  wonderful  view  of  the  whole  city  is  to 
be  had  from  that  excellent  vantage  point. 
On  the  way  back  stop  at  the  old  Mission 
Dolores  and  you'll  find  an  interesting  page 
of  the  history  of  California  recorded  there. 


MOSS  BEACH  AND  HALF  MOON  BAY- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


It's  an  easy  day's  ride,  the  round  trip  to  Half  Moon  Bay,  and  it  offers  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ocean  vistas  of  which  the 
Pacific  Coast  can  boast.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Lafayette,  spun  over  the  hills  via  Twin  Peaks  and  the  Junipero 
Serra  boulevard,  returning  by  way  of  the  Spring  Valley  lakes  and  San  Mateo.  The  roads,  going  and  coming,  are  of  concrete  and 
macadam. 


OVER  the  hills— not  to  the 
poorhouse — but  to  one  of 
the  richest  vistas  of  mountain 
and  sea  that  the  Pacific  shores 
can  boast,  rambled  "The  Ex- 
aminer" scout  car,  a  Lafayette. 
It's  an  easy  day's  excursion, 
with  plenty  of  time  for  a  picnic 
lunch  on  the  strand.  On  a 
sunny  day  it's  a  warm  little  cove 
and  the  score  of  picnickers  who 
seek  this  pretty  retreat  almost 
every  bright  day  of  the  year  pay 
tribute   to  its   attractive   sands. 

Second  only  to  Drake's  Bay 
on  the  northern  peninsula  in 
beauty  of  outline,  Half  Moon 
lives  up  to  its  name  and  often 
the  waves  are  as  tranquil  as  the 
waters  of  Lake  Tahoe.  Sea  and 
sky  blend  in  the  distance  in  an  .^^k= 
indistinct  horizon  line  and  some 
wandering  wisps  of  cirrus  clouds  standing 
out  from  the  deep  azure  of  the  autumn  sky 
soften  the  warm  rays  of  the  sun.  This  is 
an  ideal  spot  to  absorb  Conrad  or  Stev- 
enson, for  such  are  the  shores  of  the 
South  Sea  isles  and  the  stage  is  set  by 
nature  to  revivify  a  tropical  scene. 

The  entire  excursion  is  one  of  delight 
from  the  time  the  car  mounts  the  boule- 
vard over  the  Twin  Peaks  and  the  whole 
panorama  of  gleaming  white  of  the  city 
unfolds  with  the  bay  as  an  azure  frame, 
through  the  mountain  canyons  to  the 
ocean  shore.  Then  as  the  car  winds 
around  the  highway  to  the  summit  and  the 
ribbon  road  stretches  out  beneath,  there 
comes  that  feeling  of  awe  that  has  been 
born  of  an  age  where  speed  and  power  are 
fast  annihilating  distance. 

The  Spring  Valley  lakes  themselves  are 


well  worth  the  trip,  set  like  Gargantuan 
pearls  in  the  brown  heart  of  the  hills,  and 
the  constantly  changing  prospect  as  the 
road  winds  around  the  shoulders  of  the 
mountains  would  inspire  an  artist.  It  is 
"a  thing  of  beauty"  which  is  "a  joy  for- 
ever" and  "its  loveliness  increases"  as  the 
road  winds  on  and  on.  It  was  of  such 
vistas  as  these  that  Wordsworth  wrote 
that  they  impressed  him  more  even  in  the 
recollection  than  in  their  actual  pros- 
pect. 

But  to  more  material  things.  A  trip  to 
Half  Moon  Bay  is  an  excellent  excursion 
for  an  automobile  dealer  to  make  if  he 
wants  to  impress  a  banker  with  the  im- 
portance of  the  automobile  industry.  For 
there  lies  the  Ocean  Shore  Railroad,  a 
victim  to  motor  truck  transportation  and 
the   passenger   car.     Great   fields    of   arti- 


chokes cover  the  entire  region 
and  the  efficiency  of  the  motor 
transport  on  short  hauls  such  as 
this  has  proved  too  great  a 
competitor  for  the  railroad 
method.  Perhaps  the  new  high- 
way, that  some  day  will  line  the 
=^^^='  Coast,  will  follow  the  very  road- 
bed of  the  ill-fated  Ocean  Shore. 
All  along  the  route  from  Half  Moon 
Bay  on  the  return  by  way  of  the  Spring 
Valley  lakes  there  are  hundreds  of  pleas- 
ant nooks  that  invite  the  picnicking  party. 
It's  a  path  that  is  never  overcrowded  and 
the  seclusion  that  the  average  picnic  party 
desires  is  to  be  had  at  every  turn  of  the 
road.  Sheltered  from  the  ocean  breezes 
and  shaded  with  oak  and  birch  and  laurel 
there  is  many  an  acre  along  the  highway 
that  will  soon  be  covered  with  homes  as 
the  city  spreads  its  circuit  and  the  delights 
of  this  secluded  little  valley  are  better 
known.  You  cannot  help,  after  an  ex- 
cursion of  this  sort,  to  register  as  they  say 
in  the  movies  "complete  satisfaction." 

Half  Moon  Bay  and  Moss  Beach  are 
easily  reached  in  any  kind  of  weather  and 
you  don't  need  chains  no  matter  how 
damp  the   out-of-doors   may   be. 


8 


SARATOGA  AND  THE  LAND  OF  BLOSSOMS- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


In  the  spring  lime  comes  the  call  of  the  blossom  country,  and  it  is  high  time  that  the  motorist  tune  up  his  machine  to 
hark  to  the  call  of  the  beauties  of  the  valley.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Stephens  Salient  Six,  mapped  out  the  trip  to  Saratoga 
through  the  Santa  Clara  Valley  for  the  bay  city  motorist.  The  map,  drawn  by  "The  Examiner"  staff  artist,  shows  the  pro- 
posed  "around   the   hay"   route. 


DLOSSOM  festival  week  at 
•^  Saratoga  is  one  of  the  fea- 
tures of  our  California  Spring- 
time. It  is  a  period  when  we 
turn  away  from  the  streets  of 
care  and  seek  the  highways  of 
the  great  out-of-doors,  when  we 
forget  for  the  instant  the  trou- 
bles of  our  daily  existence,  our 
toil  over  the  almighty  dollar  and 
seek  a  blessed  surcease  in  a  per- 
fumed lotus-land  that  lies  about 
the   little    town    of   Saratoga. 

Here  is  what  Annie  Laurie  has 
to  say  of  this  California  festival, 
one  of  the  unique  displays  of 
this  colorful  country: 

"Just  take  the  Road  of  Happi- 
ness and  drive  through  the  fields 
of   Joy — and   at   the   end   of   the 
road    you'll    find    yourself    in    Paradise,    I 
mean,  Saratoga. 

"The  Road  of  Happiness — oh,  that 
leads  through  Golden  Gate  Park,  purple 
and  yellow  and  blue,  past  the  blossoming 
shrubs,  past  the  eucalyptus  and  the  laurel 
and  the  pine  and  the  Pride  of  India  and 
the  palms.  Past  the  daphne  and  the  jasmine 
and  past  the  banks  of  pink  rhododendrons — 
if  that's  what  they  are  that  make  the  cloud 
of  pink  along  the  main  drive  through  the 
center  of  the  Park — out  to  the  beach  with 
the    white    waves    playing    tag    with    each 


other  below  the 
Cliff  House,  or  run- 
ning races  like  great 
white  horses  trying 
to  see  who  can  get 
to  shore  the  first. 

"Down  the  beach 
to  Sloat  boulevard 
— what  a  green  lace 
screen  they  make  of  themselves,  the  euca- 
lyptus, along  the  Sloat  boulevard.  A  quick 
turn  and  you're  on  the  highway,  unrolling 
before  you  like  a  satin  ribbon — that's  the 
"wold"  on  the  right — no,  not  the  world — 
the  wold,  the  one  the  old  English  poets  and 
some  American  ones,  too,  are  always  men- 
tioning. See  how  it  spreads  from  level 
fields  of  surprising  green  to  little  dimpled 
hills  that  look  like  pretty  children  dressed 
in  flowered  green  taffeta,  holding  up  their 
little  skirts  and  getting  ready  to  dance  for 
our  amusement.     Beyond  them  to  the  dark 


trees  and  beyond  the  trees  the  purple  moun- 
tains, and  now  and  then,  from  some  quick 
point  of  vantage,  the  gleam  of  the  silver  sea. 


isn  t 


wold,    what 


can't  look  at  it  without  thinking  how  a 
procession  of  knights  in  armour  would  look 
riding  out  from  the  woods  into  the  be- 
flowered  meadow  below.  And  you  can't 
turn  your  eyes  away  without  half  expecting 
to  see  a  troop  of  naiads  come  dancing  over 
the  meadows  when  you  look  back  again. 

"Paradise,  with  a  thousand  Eves — what 
are  they  like  to  you,  the  rows  and  rows 
of  blossoming  fruit  trees — mile  after  per- 
fumed mile  of  them? 

"Here's  the  town,  nestled  in  the  arms  of 
the  hills,  just  as  comfy  and  smiling  and 
happy  as  a  rosy  baby  held  close  to  his 
mother's  heart. 

"Blossom  festival  time  in  California — say 
a  prayer  of  gratitude  that  you  are  alive  to 
enjoy  it  today." 


SAN  JOSE'S  MOUNTAIN  PARK  AT  ALUM  ROCK AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Hundreds  of  motorists  visit  Alum  Rock  Park  every  week-end  to  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  San  Jose  and  a  pleasant  picnic 
in  the  great  out-of-doors.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Hudson  Super-Six,  made  the  trip  and  mapped  out  the  way  for  mo- 
torists of  the  bay  cities.  There  are  unrivaled  sylvan  scenes  in  the  great  gorge  that  lies  on  the  road  to  Mt.  Hamilton,  and  with 
playgrounds   for  the   children,   a    dancing    pavilion    and    a    cafe,  the  city   is  well    prepared  to  care  for  all    guests  who  come. 


SEVRN  MILES  east  of  San  Jose, 
nestled  in  a  mighty  gorge 
through  which  winds  a  beautiful 
mountain  stream,  is  one  of  the 
unique  municipal  parks  of  the 
world.  Alum  Rock  canyon  derives 
its  name  from  a  strange  aerial  vis- 
itor that  used  to  be  one  of  the  at- 
tractions of  the  district.  But  the 
rock  is  no  longer  on  the  municipa 
map  and  the  tourist  who  comes  to 
see  remains  to  enjoy  not  the  rock 
which  is  not,  but  the  picturesque 
vista  which  is,  ensconsed  on  the  banks  of 
Penitencia  Creek. 

"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Hudson 
Super-Six,  spun  over  the  paved  highway 
into  that  scenic  region  and  found  not  only 
that  Nature  had  been  lavish  in  her  gifts  to 
this  paradise,  but  man  had  added  much,  for 
on  the  level  open  sections  of  the  center  of 
the  valley  are  playgrounds  for  the  children 
— and  what's  a  picnic  without  the  kiddies? 
— a  sulphur  spring  natatorium,  a  dancing 
pavilion  for  the  terpsichoric-inspired  and 
a  cafe. 

But  the  lover  of  Nature  does  not  need 
to  cling  as  closely  to  civilization  as  this. 
A  short  walk  up  the  canyon  and  there  is 
Alum  Rock  cliff  with  its  spring  impregnat- 
ed with  alum;  nearby  there's  a  sulphur 
spring  unaflfected  by  the  high  cost  of  eggs, 
and  springs  of  salt  and  iron  and  lithia.  In 
fact,  the  canyon  seems  a  veritable  medi- 
cine chest  of  waters  for  every  malady 
decked  out  in  holiday  garb  of  green  and 
gold  to  greet  the  picnicker. 

If  you  are  something  of  a  hiker,  it's  a 
short  but  inspiring  climb  to  Inspiration 
Point,  where  the  whole  Santa  Clara  valley 
is  laid  out  before  the  eye  like  a  Gargantuan 


map,  and  for  a  lit- 
tle more  strenu- 
ous excursion 
there's  the  sum- 
mit of  Buena  Vis- 
ta to  be  con- 
quered. They  told 
us  there  were 
•nHfrnx"  deer   and  various 

other  and  sundry 
beasts  wandering  around  in  the  wilds  of 
the  park,  but  it  must  have  been  their  day 
ofif  for  we  didn't  sight  any. 

The  canyon  playground  contains  some 
twenty  springs  in  all  and  the  banks  of  the 
creek  are  lined  with  sycamore,  laurel,  ma- 
drone  and  oak.  Precipitous  cliffs  bound 
the  gorge  like  a  miniature  Yosemite.  Tlie 
canyon  was  a  part  of  the  original  pueblo  or 
town  grant  to  the  Pueblo  de  San  Jose  de 
Gaudelupe  in  1777,  and  its  history  dates 
back  to  the  days  of  the  dons. 

Climb  the  peaks  that  surround  this  little 
valley  and  range  after  range  of  mountains 
are  before  you.  To  the  west  and  south  are 
the  rugged  heights  of  the  Santa  Cruz 
range,  which  shut  out  the  view  of  the 
ocean.  Lom  a  Prieta  (Black  Mountain)  is 
thirty  miles  away  and  towers  3,790  feet. 
To  the  north  is  Mt.  Choual,  .3,500  feet  high, 
and  Mt.  Thayer,  ."{.SSO  feet  in  height. 

The  plains  below  have  the  beauty  of  the 
long  cultivated  area  about  them.  Here  is 
what  a  writer  of  the  early  nineties  wrote  of 
this  remarkably  fertile  valley  of  Santa 
Clara: 

"Time  was  when  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
Santa  Clara  Valley  great  bands  of  cattle 

10 


roamed  the  plains.  The  vaquero  was 
followed  by  the  wheat  grower.  Both 
led  a  life  that  starved  the  natural  love 
of  beauty  and  even  of  comfort.  Their 
homes  were  adobe  huts;  they  had  not  even 
kitchen  gardens;  no  flowers  save  the  taw- 
dry hollyhocks  which  sprang  up  under 
their  windows;  trees  they  planted  not. 
With  the  advent  of  the  fruit  grower  came 
the  amenities  of  life,  the  satisfaction  of  the 
natural  love  of  beauty  in  fruit  and  flowers, 
ornamental  trees  and  shrubs.  It  wrought 
a  wondrous  transformation  in  the  Santa 
Clara  Valley.  Even  the  Missourian  pio- 
neer whose  aesthetic  tastes  were  in  the 
first  stage  of  development  caught  some- 
thing of  the  spirit  about  him  and  indulged 
in  rude  ornament.  Every  year  has  seen 
the  growth  of  this  tendency  until  now 
most  parts  of  the  great  valley  give  visible 
proof  of  a  culture  of  the  beautiful  such  as 
is  seen  in  few  places  on  this  side  of  the 
continent. 

"The  American  artist  has  made  little  use 
of  the  California  live  oak,  yet  it  is  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  of  trees.  Through- 
out this  valley  it  grows  to  a  size  seldom 
equaled  elsewhere.  In  sheltered  places  it 
is  symmetrical,  with  rounded  top  and  mag- 
nificent foliage,  so  dense  that  no  patch  of 
sky  may  be  seen  through  its  matted  leaf- 
age; but  in  exposed,  wind  swept  canyons, 
or  on  rocky  foothills  it  takes  the  fantastic 
shape  of  old  New  England  apple  trees, 
with  branches  that  seem  endowed  with  un- 
canny life,  and  trunks  that  are  bent  almost 
to  the  ground.  With  scarred  and  gnarled 
bark  and  frequently  with  trailing  stream- 
ers of  moss,  these  trees  have  an  individu- 
ality that  makes  them  worthy  of  study. 
They  lift  into  sublimity  the  canyons  to 
whose        rugged       sides       they       cling." 


A  TRIP  TO  THE  STARS  FROM  MT.  HAMILTON- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


An  ideal  day's  jaunt  for  the  motorist  of  the  bay  cities  is  the  trip  to  Mt.  Hamilton  and  the  Lick  observatory  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  California.  Over  winding  mountain  roads  lined  with  picturesque  oaks  the  journey  is  one  that  should  be  recorded  in  the 
log  of  every  motorist.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  new  Cleveland,  mapped  out  the  trip  for  the  motorists  of  the  bay  cities.  The 
scene  at  the  right  shows  the  observatory  buildings  and  at  the  left  and  below  are  two  typical  scenes  on  the  highway.  The  ob- 
servatory, a  tiny  speck  on  the  mountain  top,  may  be  seen  in  the  picture  at  the  left.  Below  Is  a  sketch  of  the  great  telescope 
of  the   Lick   Observatory. 


STAR-GAZ- 
I  NG  ha  s 
been  a  favor- 
ite occupation 
for  man  kind 
ever  since  tlic 
first  clear  eve- 
ning in  Eden 
and  on  these 
winter  nights 
it  poss  esses 
more  delights 
than  ever.  Up 
on  the  snmmit 
of  Mt.  Hamil- 
ton, 4,400  feet 
up,  there  is  a 
smal  1    sized 

city  whose  inhabitants  woo  the  spirit  of 
Morpheus  by  day  and  court  the  muse  of 
Urania  as  soon  as  the  shadows  start  over 
old  Mother  Earth. 

Besides  the  interest  of  the  great  tele- 
scopes, and  scores  of  astronomical  instru- 
ments, the  great  domes,  and  the  observers 
themselves,  there  is  a  scenic  trip  that 
winds  up  the  mountain  side,  a  road  of  a 
thousand  turns  that  would  be  an  attraction 
to  the  motorist  even  though  there  were 
not  more  than  a  heap  of  stones  at  the  peak. 

The  "Examiner"  scout  car,  a  new  Cleve- 
land, mapped  out  the  way  and  photo- 
graphed some  of  the  highways  and  by- 
ways for  the  motorists  of  the  bay  cities. 
It  is  an  easy  day's  jaunt,  over  roads  that 
are  good  and  grades  that  are  easy  to  climb. 

From  the  summit  there  is  a  panorama  of 
hill  and  vale  extending  far  away  on  every 
side.  In  the  distance  can  be  glimpsed  the 
bay  of  Monterey  and  the  various  cities 
that  lie  in  the  valleys  below  make  it  seem 
like  a  gigantic  checkerboard. 

Our  host  of  the  mountain  was  Prof.  W. 
W.  Campbell,  director  of  the  Lick  Ob- 
servatory, and  we  found  him  enjoying  his 
"playtime"  by  investigating  the  interior  of 
his  own  motor  car. 

It  is  a  lonesome   spot,  this   top  of  the 


bring 
miles 


world,  yet  there  is 
an  inspiration 
there  that  is  lack- 
ing in  the  valley 
below. 

With  the  great  telescopes  that 
the  mighty  worlds  millions  of 
closer  to  the  earth,  there  comes  an  awe 
that  makes  the  tourist  realize  his  insig- 
nificance in  the  general  scheme  of  things. 

In  the  great  dome  is  the  largest  of  the 
tubes  through  which  the  course  of  the  sun 
and  the  stars  is  watched.  Every  moment 
that  the  sky  is  clear  enough  for  observa- 
tions the  telescope  is  in  use.  Photograph- 
ing sun  spots,  measuring  planetary  orbits, 
analyzing  spectra,  computing  the  size  and 
weight  and  distance  of  the  twinkling  in- 
habitants of  the  great  expanse  of  the 
heavens,  these  are  the  daily  routine  of  the 
observatory. 

When  we  visited  the  main  vault  where 
the  fifteen-ton  telescope  is  mounted  an  ob- 
server was  photographing  the  sun's  spec- 
trum. It  was  a  bright,  clear  day,  not  a 
cloud  to  be  seen  and  the  big  clock  that 
drove  the  telescope,  keeping  the  lens  con- 
stantly in  line  with  the  sun,  was  noiselessly 
about    its    task.      Now   and   then    the    ob- 


server   turned 
an   electric 
switch  and  the 
gigantic  dome, 
with  its  single 
slit  th  r  o  u  g  h 
which     the 
telescope 
looked   out   at 
the     sun, 
turned      to 
catch   up  with 
the   fast   mov- 
ing eye  of  day. 
Under  the 
gigantic  dome 
where  the  largest  of  the  Lick 
Observatory  telescopes  rests 
lies  the  body  of  James  Lick, 
whose  gift  to  the  University 
of   California   made   possible 
the  wonderful  research  work 
which  has   been   the   history 
of  the  Mt.  Hamilton  colony. 
Hundreds  of  photographs  of 
eclipses,    various    phases    of 
the  moon  and  views    of   nebulae   are    ex- 
hibited in  the  hall  of  the  observatory. 

The  trip  to  the  observatory  combines 
pleasure  and  profit  and  is  an  ideal  one 
day's  jaunt  for  the  motorist.  Once  there 
one  dislikes  to  leave,  there  is  so  much  of 
interest,  and  if  you  wish  to  gaze  through 
the  great  telescope  time  your  trip  to  ar- 
rive between  the  hours  of  7  and  9  on  a 
Saturday  night  and  the  pleasure  of  get- 
ting within  hailing  distance  of  the  moon 
will  be  yours. 

After  figuring  up  a  few  calculations  on 
distances  and  sizes,  little  old  earth  seemed 
so  puny  that  we  wondered  how  anybody 
could  imagine  that  any  of  her  big  brothers 
of  space  would  bother  about  putting  her 
out  of  her  misery,  any  way. 

We  asked  the  usual  questions  as  to  the 
moon  and  Mars  and  found  the  director  cer- 
tain that  automobiles  or  humankind  would 
have  short  shrift  in  that  atmosphere.  And 
as  to  the  end  of  the  world,  Doctor  Camp- 
bell    does     not     seem     to     be     worrying. 


11 


SANTA  CRUZ  AND  THE  BIG  BASIN- 


AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Three  routes  are  open  to  Santa  Cruz,  one  of  which  passes  through  the  famous  State  Redwood  Park  and  the  Big  Basin 
country,  another  over  the  scenic  Soquel  grade,  and  the  third,  which  skirts  the  coast.  The  shortest  return  trip  is  over  the  Mt. 
Charley  road,  but  a  more  scenic  excursion  is  by  way  of  the  Big  Basin.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Willys  -  Knight  Four, 
mapped  out  the  trip  for  bay  city  motorists.  The  pictures  show  some  of  the  scenic  stretches  of  the  highway  through  the 
State  Redwood  Park  and  over  the  Soquel  route,  a  panorama  of  Santa  Cruz,  as  it  appears  from  the  Coast  highway,  and  Casa 
Del    Rey,  which,  with   the   Casino   and   "Pike,"   is  one   of  the   attractions  of  the  beach  city. 


THERE  is  no  automobile  trip  in  the  log 
of  the  motorist  that  provides  a  more 
varied  scenic  diversion  than  an  excursion 
through  the  mountainous  district  that  di- 
vides the  picturesque  beach  of  Santa  Cruz 
from  the  valley  of  Santa  Clara.  It  is  a 
week-end  jaunt  that  combines  the  moun- 
tain and  forest  and  ocean  shore,  gigantic 
redwoods  second  in  size  only  to  the  groves 
of  Mariposa  and  Calaveras,  cool  streams 
where  there  lurks  many  a  trout  and  a 
vista  of  great  distances  as  the  summit  is 
reached. 

"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Willys- 
Knight  Four,  journeyed  to  Santa  Cruz 
over  the  Soquel  route  and  returned  by  way 
of  the  Big  Basin  and  the  California  Red- 
wood Park. 

One  of  the  biggest  attractions  of  that 
section  of  the  country  is  the  grove  of  Big 
Trees  situated  about  five  miles  from  the 
town.  It  is  a  private  grove — the  more's 
the  pity — but  it's  well  worth  the  nominal 
sum  that  they  ask  to  look  over  these  an- 
cient monarchs  of  the  forest.  The  grove 
includes  the  General  Fremont  tree,  56  feet 
in  circumference  and  280  feet  in  height,  in 
which  it  is  recorded  the  "Pathfinder" 
camped  and  the  very  stove  pipe  hole  which 
was  cut  by  the  early  Californians  is  rev- 
erently  preserved   by   all    except   the   tree, 


which  is  rapidly  try- 
ing to  cover  up  its 
nakedness  with  a 
heavy  burl.  At  the 
time  of  the  visit  of  the 
Pacific  fleet  there 
were  56  gobs  inside  of 
the  tree-cave  at  one 
time.  Some  tree!  Fre- 
mont, his  wife  and 
daughter  are  said  to 
have  hidden  in  this  tree  from  the  Indians  at 
the  time  of  the  war  with   Mexico  in  1847. 

The  oldest  living  things,  these  redwoods, 
yet  in  some  parts  of  the  State  they  are  fig- 
uring out  the  timber  measure  with  the  idea 
of  putting  an  end  to  a  term  of  life  that  is 
awful  in  its  immensity.  Semper  virens — let 
us  not  destroy  the  Semper. 

Santa  Cruz  has  provided  a  "Pike"  of 
amusements  for  the  summer  tourists 
when  they  tire  of  diving  through  the 
gigantic  breakers  or  sunning  themselves 
on  the  beach,  or  tramping  out  to  the 
natural  wonders  that  line  the  coast,  the 
Arch  Rock,  the  natural  bridge  and  monu- 
ment point.  Everything  from  the  hula- 
hula  dancer  to  the  familiar  and  fragrantly 
odorous  "hot  dog"  vie  for  the  popular  favor. 

Then   there's    tennis — the    Pacific   Coast 


championships  used  to  be  a  feature  of  the 
Casa  Del  Rey — and  golf  and  salmon  fishing 
and  fresh  water  angling  in  200  miles  of 
streams. 

.Some  of  the  other  monarchs  of  the  Welch 
grove  are:  The  Jumbo  tree,  52  feet  in  cir- 
cumference and  290  feet  high;  General 
Grant,  55  feet  in  circumference  and  260 
feet  high,  and  General  Sherman,  62  feet  in 
circumference  and  320  feet  high. 

There  is  what  is  known  as  the  Cathedral 
group,  growing  from  one  root,  300  feet 
in  height  and  110  feet  in  circumference. 
The  Beauty  tree  is  300  feet  high,  210  feet 
to  the  first  limb.  The  Giant  tree,  the 
largest  of  the  group,  is  350  feet  high  and 
61  feet  in  circumference.  It  is  said  to  con- 
tain 80,000  feet  of  lumber  and  is  one  of 
the  most  perfect  trees  in  the  world. 


12 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  THE  PADRES- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


starting  at  Mission  Dolores  and  crossing  the  Sausalito  ferry  to  Marin  County,  the  motorist  finds  himself  on  the  circuit  of 
the  northern  missions.  Nothing  except  the  site  of  the  original  mission  building  at  San  Rafael  is  left,  but  the  ruins  of  the 
Sonoma  Mission  are  still  standing,  a  picturesque  reminder  of  the  romantic  days  of  old.  From  Sonoma  down  the  other  side  of 
the  bay  to  Mission  San  Jose,  then  in  succession,  Carmel,  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Clara  and  San  Juan  are  to  be  visited. 
"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Dodge  Brothers  Coupe,  routed  the  excursion  and  V.  Nahl  of  "The  Examiner"  Art  Staff  made 
the  crayon  sketch  of  the  "home  church"  of  Junipero  Serra,  at  Carmel,  called   Mission  San  Carlos  Borromeo. 


niSStoN 
DevfRBS 


TN  the  romantic  history  of  Cal- 
*  ifornia  there  is  no  more  prom- 
inent feature  than  the  chronicle 
of  the  founding  of  the  missions. 
The  remarkable  work  of  that  fa- 
mous disciple  of  St.  Francis  of 
Assisi,  Junipero  Serra,  and  the 
privations  and  thrilling  experi- 
ences through  which  the  padres 
toiled  fill  many  an  interesting 
page  in  the  story  of  the  de- 
ve'onment  of  the   Pacific   Coast. 

Yet  there  is  many  a  Californian  who 
knows  little  at  first  hand  of  these  monu- 
ments of  the  early  days  and  many  a  mo- 
torist merely  tabulates  them  as  names 
without  an  accompanying  connotation  of 
their  historic  importance  or  their  romantic 
appeal.  The  round  of  the  northern  mis- 
sions is  an  easy  motoring  tour — a  day's  or 
at  most  a  two  days'  jaunt — and  it  travels 
the  paved  highways.  "  'The  Examiner' 
Scout  Car,"  a  Dodge  Brothers  coupe, 
mapped  out  the  excursion  and  outlined  an 
itinerary  that  makes  a  pleasant  run  for 
motorists  of  the  bay  cities. 

The  Mission  Dolores,  of  course,  is  the 
starting  point.  This  is  the  oldest  of  the 
mission  churches,  but  not  in  point  of  found- 
ing. The  church  itself  was  formally  opened 
on  October  9,  1776. 

The  Mission  San  Rafael  Archangel  was 
founded  in  1817  to  care  for  many  of  the  In- 
dians at  San  Francisco  who  were  ill. 

Mission  San  Francisco  Solano  was  the 


twenty-first  and  last  of  the 
missions  to  be  founded. 
Named  after  the  mission- 
ary to  the  Peruvian  In- 
dians, it  was  founded  on 
July  4,  1823. 

In  1903  the  mission  was 
purchased  by  William 
Randolph  Hearst  and  pre- 
sented to  the  State. 

Mission  San  Jose  was  founded  on  June 
11,  1797.  The  first  building  was  of  wood 
with  a  grass  roof.  The  new  church  was 
completed  in  1809  and  in  1834  there  were 
1,806  persons  resident  there. 

Mission  San  Juan  Bautista  was  founded 
on  June  24,  1797.  The  church  was  erected 
in  1798  and  was  constructed  of  adobe  and 
tile.  Cinnabar  used  in  the  mortar  adds  a 
yellow  tinge  to  the  appearance  of  the 
walls,  particularly  noticeable  in  the  eve- 
ning. The  church  is  200  feet  by  70  and 
is  45  feet  high.     There  were  no  pews,  the 


jv/rt/av  s>,nc>,xio! 


worshipers  standing  or  kneeling  for  the 
services.  The  church  was  restored  in  1884. 

Mission  San  Carlos  Borromeo  at  Car- 
mel was  Junipero  Serra's  own  church.  It 
was  founded  on  June  3,  1770,  and  now  pre- 
sents one  of  the  noblest  ruins  of  all  the 
mission  chain.  Here  Serra  died  on  Au- 
gust 28,  1784. 

Mission  Santa  Cruz  was  founded  on 
August  28,  1791,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  of  all  the  northern  churches. 
In  1830  the  mission  had  accumulated  $25,- 
000  in  silver  plate,  43,000  head  of  cattle, 
72,500  sheep  and  3,500  horses  and  mules. 


13 


OUT  WHERE  THE  WILD  FLOWERS  BLOOM- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Springtime  is  poppy-time  and  then  the  hills  around  the  bay  are  aflame  with  the  California  flower.  But  there  are  buttercups, 
too,  and  daisies  pied,  and  many  other  wee  folk  of  the  earth  that  are  looking  up  out  of  their  green  chalices  in  the  sunshine  of  spring. 
An  "Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Chandler,  mapped  out  an  excursion  for  motorists  of  the  bay  cities  that  visit  the  haunts  of  the  April 
blossoms.     The  map  will  direct  your  path  to  a  gorgeous  bouquet. 


throughout  the  world  for 
her  wildflowers.  The  gold  of 
the  poppy  and  the  blue  of  the 
lupin  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
rainbow  through  every  shade 
of  the  spectrum  are  repro- 
duced on  California's  spring- 
time hills.  Here  is  the  story 
of  California's  wildflowers  as 
told  by  Arthur  Price  of  "The 
Examiner"  staff: 

"Flung  far  on  the  slopes 
east  of  Berryessa  was  a  great 
golden  banner — like  that  rich 
silken  pennant  that  the  Chi- 
nese flaunted  before  they  be- 
came republican,  but  the  gold 
was  more  ruddy  than  the  yel- 
low that  the  Chinese  mon- 
archists followed. 

"This  golden  banner,  this 
pageant  of  ruddy  gold,  lay 
against  a  background  as  green 
as  the  beautiful  flag  that  Erin 
loved  for  many  centuries  be- 
fore it  became  republican,  de 
facto,  if  not  de  jure,  and  wove 
a  flag  of  paler  hues  but  more  virile  deter- 
mination. 

"What  is  there  in  this  modern  republican 
movement  that  gives  vigor  to  a  people  and 
wrings  beauty  from  its  banners? 

"But  that  is  a  problem  for  other  folk  to 
deal  with,  we  are  out  after  poppies. 

"And  there  they  are,  far  flung  across  the 
Santa  Clara  hills,  acres  of  them,  a  miracle 
of  color.  Gold,  gold,  gold.  Brightening 
the  vivid  hills,  flaunting  the  shadows  that 
come  from  the  clouds  Sing  Kee  of  Santa 
Clara  had  tried  to  conjure  up  to  fulfill  his 
prophecy  of  a  rainy  Sunday. 

"Through  the  park,  where  flowers  are 
tamed,  we  went,  then  out  to  the  Junipero 
Serra  boulevard  and  to  the  Mission  road. 
In  the  Ingleside  district  we  had  our  first 
glimpse  of  the  wild  poppies,  but  most  of 
them  were  in  captivity.  Along  by  the 
golf  links  little  flower  girls  stood  with 
great  bunches  of  poppies  culled  from  the 
adjacent  meadows. 


"We  sped  along  the  Sierra  highway,  the 
road  which  leads  to  Mount  Hamilton,  and 
then,  at  the  Sierra  grade,  which  climbs  to 
the  Calaveras  country  (we  were  now 
southeast  of  Milpitas),  we  soared  to  the 
golden   acres. 

"There  were  the  poppies,  big,  bright  cups 
of  ruddy  gold.  Chalices  is  a  word  that 
suggests  itself,  so  large  and  ruddy  are  the 
flowers,  but  chalice  has  an  ecclesiastical 
suggestion. 

"The  wind  turned  the  petals  and  the 
flowers  billowed  in  the  sun  as  we  watched 
them  from  the  'magic  casement'  of  a  sedan. 

"  'Magic  casement,'  indeed.  Better  than 
Keats  ever  knew. 

"For  sheltered  and  snug  behind  the  plate 
glass  of  the  automobile's  windows  we 
drove  over  the  smooth  highway,  most  of 
the  way  on  the  paved  roads,  here  and  there 
on  the  hard  macadam,  and  through  the 
casements  of  the  sedan  we  looked  on  the 
flowers. 


"Lupin  grew  with  the  pop- 
pies, but  they  were  the  early 
purple   kind,     not   the    dainty 
darlings   of      enameled   azure 
and     white,     daintiest     of     all 
flowers.  Great  clumps  of  but- 
tercups    stretched     their    rich 
little    petals     in    the    sun    like 
tiny   butterflies  spreading  their  wings  for 
flight.      Iris    shoots    came    up,    promising 
lovely    flowers. 

"There  were  the  mustard  patches — they 
much  the  color  of  the  lost  flag  of  the  Chi- 
nese celestial  kingdom — that  land  perhaps 
as  far  from  heaven,  governmentally,  as 
ever  nation  was,  but  still  celestial  with  its 
banner  of   sunrise. 

"Here  were  the  mustard  patches  and 
there  the  poppies  on  the  hills  east  of 
Berryessa,  east  of  Milpitas,  east  of  San 
Jose.  Acres  of  gold,  and  the  car,  without 
a  quiver,  turned  from  the  Sierra  highway 
which  skirts  the  Santa  Clara  valley  up  the 
Sierra  grades  which  lead  to  the  Calaveras 
country  (all  in  Santa  Clara  county.) 

"By  an  orchard  fence  we  stopped,  the 
trusty,  tireless  tires  resting  in  the  lush 
short  grass  of  spring.  Over  the  fence  were 
pear  trees  with  their  white  blooms  burst- 
ing silently,  but  almost  as  expeditiously  as 
corn  in  the  popper." 


14 


SOLEDAD  MISSION  AND  THE  PINNACLES- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


A  round  trip  that  can  be  made  in  a  day,  but  that  contains  enough  material  of  interest  for  an  entire  summer — that  is  the 
trip  to  the  Pinnacles  and  the  Soledad  Mission  on  which  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Haynes,  went.  The  Pinnacles,  with  their 
caves  and  spires  and  domes,  their  constantly  changing  skyline,  and  their  awe-inspiring  vistas  of  rocky  heights  and  deep  chasms, 
comprise  one  of  the  most  remarkable  scenes  open  to  the  motorist.  The  Haynes  negotiated  the  entire  146  miles  to  the  gates  of 
the  Pinnacles  in  a  running  time  of  4  hours,  29  minutes;  and  a  motorist  who  delights  to  "loaf"  along  the  highway  can  do  it  easily 
in   a   six-hour  run.     Some  of  the   scenes  en   route  and   within   the   confines  of  this   natural    wonderland    are   shown    below. 


THE  Garden 
of  the 
Titans,  that  was 
the  name  given 
to  them  by  one 
of  the  early  ex- 
plorers of  that 
marvelous  re- 
gion that  lies  in 
the  vicinity  of 
Soledad  on  El 
Camino  Real. 
And  it  does  not 
belie  its  name. 
Better  known 
now  as  the  Pin- 
n  a  c  1  e  s.  this 
"little  Yosemite" 
is  a  California 
"Garden  of  the 
that  surpasses  the 
deur  of  the  better  known 
region  in  Colorado. 

It's   an   easy   round   trip 
in    a    day,    but    you    won't 
have    much    time    left    to 
explore     that    which    you 
went   forth   to   see.     It   . 
134  miles  to  Soledad  by  the  Great  High- 
way   and    "The    Examiner"    scout    car,    a 
Haynes,   made   it   in   an   even   four   hours. 
But    the    majority    of    motorists    probably 

would  take  a  more  leisurely  pace.  There  s  it  resembles  more 
much  to  see  on  the  way.  It's  worth  one's  than  some  of  our 
while  to  halt  in  tlie  sleepy  old  town  of  San  telescopic  photo- 
Juan  and  visit  the  mission.  The  San  Juan  graphs  of  the  dead 
grade  itself  is  a  small  edition  of  the  world  satellite  of  the  earth, 
famous  ridge  route  in  Southern  California  The  scene  as  one 
and  it  provides  some  wonderful  vistas  of  enters  the  canyon  re- 
valley  and  hill.  .      minds    one    of    a    bad 

On  Captain  Cook's  voyage  to  the  Pacific    dream.     It  is  a  night- 
Coast,     George     Vancouver     included     a    mare  of  nature,  a  land 
chronicle  of  a  visit  to  some  high  peaks  in    of    Hyperion    and    the 
the  vicinity  of  Monterey.     The  "re-discov-    elder  gods,  the   home 
ery"   of   the    region    was    made    almost   a 
century    after    Vancouver's    visit    through 
some   Englishman's  following  the  trail  of 
Vancouver  on  this  coast 


ture  background  for 
Jules  Verne's  "Voy- 
age to  the  Moon,"  as 
there   is   nothing   that 


of  a  Shelleyan  Pro- 
metheus or  a  Frank- 
enstein. Cathedrals, 
mighty  arches,  gigan- 


The  Pinnacles  may  be  approached  either  tic  caves,  and  a  shout 

from    Soledad    or    HoUister,    the    skyline  reverberates    from    rock   to    rock   like   the 

changing     continually     as      the     motorist  peal  of  thunder. 

winds  around  the  mountain  road  and  nears  It  is  a  trip  to  stimulate  the  imagination, 

the    gate    of    the    reservation.      A    strange  Far  different   from   the   sublime   grandeur 

peak   that    stands   out   like   a    skeleton    of  of  Yosemite,  it  seems  a  weird  region  that 

some  great  mountain  of  a  bygone  age  can  God  and  man  forgot. 

be  seen  for  miles  around.  This  was  called  The  Pinnacles,  "La  Calera  of  the  Span- 
by  the  Indians  "The  Tooth."  It  is  a  re-  iards,"  was  known  to  the  Indians  long 
gion  which  would  serve  as  a  moving  pic-  before   the   arrival   of   the   white   man   and 


the  presence  of  many  stones  of  flint  that 
seem  to  have  been  shaped  into  arrow- 
heads, and  some  of  the  caves  where  legend 
says  the  Redskin  once  lived  add  proof  to 
the  theory  that  this  was  once  the  habitat 
of  some   California  aborigine. 

The  explorer  Cabrillo  is  said  to  have 
met  an  Indian  chief  who  hailed  from  the 
Pinnacles  at  the  town  of  Carpentcria, 


15 


THE  SCENIC  PATHS  AROUND  OAKLAND- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Many  a  motorist  knows  the   highways  of  the  "far  country"  far  better  than  he  knows  those  of  his  own  home, 
iner"  scout  car,  an   Apperson,   mapped   out  a   transbay   excursion  that  is  well  worth  a  day's  Jaunt. 


"The  Exar 


^^/Mivji^o 


^^TTH  E     E  X- 


AMINER" 
scout  car  drove 
over  to  Oakland 
and  mapped  out 
a  "See  the 
Transbay 
Cities"  trip 
that'll  come  in 
handy  when 
y  o  u'r  e  taking 
around  a  visitor. 

The  start  was  made  from  the  foot  of 
Broadway  as  the  car  turned  from  the 
Creek  Route  ferry  to  the  Webster  street 
bridge,  crossed  the  bridge  and  proceeded 
to  Central  avenue,  passing  the  shipbuild- 
ing plants  with  their  gigantic  machinery 
that  seemed  to  spring  up  overnight  when 
the  nation  was  busy  with  war.  Then 
comes  "Beach  Row"  in  Alameda  with  its 
world-renowned  amusement  features.  A 
turn  to  the  left  and  the  car  follows  Cen- 
tral avenue,  Alameda's  broad,  well-paved 
boulevard  that  is  the  main  artery  of  the 
city's  traffic. 

At  High  street  another  left  turn  leads 
the  traveler  to  Oakland  again,  where  the 
Foothill  boulevard  carries  one  out  to  Sem- 
inary avenue  and  one  of  the  showplaces 
of  Alameda  County,  Mills  College.  Then 
back  toward  the  center  of  the  city  over 
the  county  road,  passing  through  the  red- 
woods and  the  wild  country  that  frames 
the  hillside  of  Oakland,  past  the  home  of 
Joaquin  Miller,  poet  of  the  Sierra,  along 
beautiful  Park  boulevard  to  Lake  Merritt 
and  Oakland's  magnificent  Civic  Audi- 
torium. Around  the  lake  and  out  again 
along  Mandana  boulevard  to  the  famous 
skyline    road,    from    which    some    of    the 


AT      ZAKC  ME/SE/TT  -• — •  .^^i^j. 

finest  scenes  of  the  bay  district  are  to  be 
had. 

Turn  left  at  the  tunnel  and  follow  the 
winding  tunnel  road  into  Berkeley  through 
the  Piedmont  district  and  its  beautiful 
homes  and  on  to  the  campus  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  California.  Then  back  to  First 
and  Broadway  again  over  any  of  the  paved 
roads  that  lead  from  Oakland  to  the  uni- 
versity. 

It  is  an  inspiration  to  one  who  lives  in 
the  bay  district  to  make  such  a  trip.  It 
helps  a  resident  to  appreciate  his  home 
and  there  are  few  visitors  who  could  make 
the  trip  and  not  feel  the  "irresistible  urge" 
to  make  this  part  of  the  country  their 
home.  Try  a  "home  trip"  and  you'll  find 
therein  many  beauties  you  have  not 
imagined  were  there. 

"The  hills  back  of  Berkeley,"  writes  a 
tourist,    "are    seamed    with    a    network    of 


deep  ravines  and  mimic  can- 
yons, through  which  one  may 
wander  in  wildness  for  hours 
without  meeting  a  single  hu- 
man being  or  discovering  a 
sign  of  any  human  habitation. 
The  whole  region  is  virtually 
untrodden  by  man,  save  an  oc- 
casional botanist,  a  geologist 
or  sportsman.  Yet  many  a 
scene  of  rare  beauty  is  prisoned  within 
these  walls.  Three  miles  from  Berkeley, 
accessible  by  what  is  known  as  the  Berry- 
man  road,  is  Wildcat  Canyon,  through 
which  flows  Wildcat  Creek  for  more  than 
a  dozen  miles,  on  its  way  to  the  bay.  The 
two  forks  of  the  creek  take  their  rise  near 
the  summit,  in  mountain  springs,  and,  as 
they  race  down  the  hillside,  a  rich  growth 
of  vegetation  springs  up  along  their 
course,  while  their  banks  are  overhung 
with  tall  trees.  The  scenery  along  the 
whole  length  of  the  canyon  is  extremely 
picturesque.  Flanked  by  a  steep,  rocky 
wall  on  one  side  and  sloping  mountains  on 
the  other,  carpeted  with  grass  and  flowers, 
with  its  groves  of  stately  trees,  the  path 
of  the  stream  is  one  of  exquisite  beauty. 
Every  few  rods  the  brook  plunges  into  a 
deep  pool,  shrouded  with  moss-grown 
trees    and    bordered    with    delicate    ferns." 


16 


PICNICKING  DAYS  IN  NILES  CANYON- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


With  the  joy  days  of  vacation  season  there's  a  powerful  attraction  In  the  way  of  beauty  of  scenery  and  sylvan  repose  in 
the  famous  Niles  Canyon.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Jordan  Silhouette,  mapped  out  the  trip,  found  the  roads  in  excellent 
shape  and  sketched  out  a  road  map  for  other  bay  city  motorists  who  want  to  enjoy  themselves  on  a  day's  picnic  tour  or  on  a 
week  or  so  jaunt  "roughing   it"  in  camp. 


SUMMER  days,  picnic  days, 
days  of  the  call  of  the  open 
road,  vacation  days,  camping 
days,  days  of  hiking,  joy  days, 
they're  here  now  and  many  a 
city  motorist  is  answering  their 
insistent  call.  There's  health  in 
the  hills,  there's  health  in  the 
highways,  there's  health  in  the 
trail  and  the  man  with  the 
motor  car  is  gamboling  in  the 
midst  of  it  all. 

Have  you  ever  camped  in 
cool  Niles  Canyon  beside  the 
picturesque  creek  under  the 
spreading  branches  of  the  oaks 
and  the  sycamores  and  the 
eucalyptus?  Have  you  ever  en- 
joyed a  swim  in  the  cool  pools 
that  lie  on  every  turn  of  that 
scenic  road?  Have  you  ever  en- 
joyed a  picnic  lunch  beside 
that  gurgling  stream?  If  you 
haven't  you've  missed  some- 
thing and  it  is  time  you  made  it 
up  with  old  Dame   Nature. 

"The  E,xaminer"  scout  car, 
a  Jordan  Silhouette,  sped  over 
the  ferry  to  Oakland  and 
routed  out  a  pleasant  day's 
excursion.  The  Foothill  blvd. 
or  the  East  Fourteenth  pave- 
ment offers  an  enjoyable  ride 
from  Oakland,  and  just  before 
Hayward  is  reached  there's  a 
sharp  left  turn  that  leads  to 
Dublin  Canyon  and  the  rich 
agricultural  district  that  lies  near  Sunol 
and  Pleasanton. 

A  visit  to  the  Spring  Valley  Company's 
water  tower  is  a  pleasing  diversion,  then 
the  highway  wends  its  winding  way 
through  the  canyon  of  Niles  creek.  The 
stream  ripples  over  moss  covered  bould- 
ers, now  tumbling  down  in  a  white  cas- 
cade, then  silent  as  it  widens  to  a  vast  pool. 
Many  of  these  pools  are  populated  now, 
for  youthful  spirits  are  on  the  lookout  for 
just  such  ole  "swimming  holes"  as  these  and 
there's  a  gay  chorus  of  shouts  as  the  motor 
hums  past. 

There  are  camps  galore,  but  there  are 
thousands  of  camping  places  left  and  it  of- 
fers a  cool  retreat  when  the  sun  waxes  a 
wee  bit  hot  and  the  breezes  forget  to  blow 
as  cool  as  they  are  wont  to  do. 


After  passing  through  this  cool  vale  of 
the  summer  camper  a  circuit  of  the  lower 
arm  of  the  bay  adds  a  bit  of  variety  to  the 
excursion.  Through  Mission  San  Jose, 
where  there's  a  touch  of  the  romantic  and 
historic  to  be  seen.  Then  San  Jose  with 
its  beautiful  tree-lined  boulevards  and  its 
pretty  homesites.  The  Santa  Clara  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  valleys  in  all  Cali- 
fornia. For  picturesque  scenery,  artistic 
homes  and  variety  of  fruit  and  other  pro- 
ducts it  is  unexcelled.  This  land  of  the 
blossom  was  once  a  great  inland  sea.  Ma- 
rine shells  found  underneath  the  surface 
soil  give  testimony  to  this  and  pebbles 
and  boulders  tell  of  the  heyday  of  the 
"wets." 

The  valley  is  sheltered  from  the  ocean 
winds   by  the   Santa   Cruz    Mountains  and 


IS  shut  off 
from  San  Luis 
Obispo  Coun- 
ty by  a  moun- 
tain barrier. 
The  hot  winds 
from  the  Mo- 
jave  are  kept 
out  by  the  high 
peaks  of  the 
Coast  Range 
and  the  cool 
breeze  from 
San  Francisco 
Bay  tempers  the  thermometer  to 
a  moderate  scale.  Live  oaks, 
eucalyptus  and  the  tropical  palm 
vie  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
orchard  in  dispensing  shade  and 
a  great  portion  of  this  fertile 
plain  is  given  over  to  fields  of 
grain,  patches  of  brown  in  a  set- 
ting of  green. 
On  the  way  back  from  San  Jose  there's 
the  Stanford  University  "farm"  to  be  vis- 
ited and  this  in  itself  is  well  worth  the  trip 
down  the  peninsula.  The  motorist  may 
well  spend  an  hour  or  two  in  driving 
through  the  campus  around  the  great  lawn 
circles,  and  perhaps  enjoying  a  visit  to  the 
memorial  chapel  and  the  famous  Stanford 
Museum  with  its  remarkable  collection  of 
Egyptian  potteries  and  scarabs. 

Then,  with  the  cool  breezes  of  the  bay 
before  you,  the  Great  Highway  pierces  into 
the  heart  of  the  great  city.  It's  only  a  step 
by  motor  car  from  the  country  to  the  city 
and  the  contrast  is  the  more  remarkable 
for  the  speed  of  the  change.  All  in  all,  it's 
a  wonderful  day's  excursion,  pleasant  in 
that  it's  easy  and  full  of  interest  and  scenic 
enjoyment. 


17 


FORT  BARRY  AND  POINT  LOBOS- 


AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Turn  to  the  left  at  Sausalito  and  follow  the  Government  road  through  Fort  Barry  to  Point  Lobos  and  you  will  find  your- 
self on  one  of  the  best  short  tours  that  the  bay  cities  can  boast.  It  affords  a  wonderful  view  of  San  Francisco  and  the  Golden 
Gate  and  the  back  country  about  Mt.  Tamalpais.  The  roads  are  in  shape  for  any  kind  of  weather  and  you  won't  need  skid 
chains,  rain  or  shine.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Lexington,  made  the  excursion.  A  pleasant  variant  for  the  return  trip  is  to 
turn  to  the  right  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  rifle  range  and  take  the  "skyline  road"  that  winds  around  the  peaks.  This 
road  comes  out  at  "Sugarloaf   Bay,"  a  little  inlet  that  looks   like  a   miniature  Avalon. 


THERE'S  a  short  little  trip 
for  the  rainy  days  that 
can  be  made  between  showers. 
It  affords  a  vista  of  mountain 
and  sea,  a  remarkable  view  of 
the  Golden  Gate  and  San 
Francisco,  with  many  a  little 
inlet  and  rocky  bit  of  coastline 
that  is  well  worth  the  expedi- 
tion in  itself.  The  route  lies 
out  of  Sausalito  with  a  swing 
to  the  left  over  the  Govern- 
ment reservation  road,  through 
Fort  Barry  and  on  to  the 
Point  Lobos  lighthouse  that 
looks  out  on  the  Golden  Gate.. 

It  seems  that  there  are  three 
points  that  go  under  the  name 
of  Lobos.  They  have  one  out 
by  the  Cliff  House,  there's  an- 
other down  by  Monterey,  and 
this  one  which  claims  to  be 
the  only  and  original  Point 
Lobos  is  reached  through  the 
Government  reservation  at 
Fort  Barry.  The  lighthouse 
keepers  must  have  a  job  keep- 
ing their  mail  separated,  if  Uncle  Sam  fol- 
lows the  directions  that  one  meets  with 
in   perusing  the  various  maps. 

The  Lexington  scout  car  found  the 
roads  in  ideal  shape  and  so  constructed 
that  rain  or  shine  there  is  no  worry  of 
skidding,    with    chains    or    without.     The 

highway  runs  through  a  good-sized  hill  by  house  and  looks 
way  of  a  half-mile  tunnel  and  winds  out  on  the  Golden 
around  the  hills  in  a  gradual  incline. 

At  the  rifle  range  the  Oakland  Rifle 
Club  was  enjoying  itself  and  the  presi- 
dent of  the  club  took  a  pop  at  the  target 
for  the  benefit  of  the  photographer.  An- 
other interesting  exhibition  put  on  for  the 
visitors  was  a  run  for  "chow,"  staged  by 
the  khaki-clad  residents  of  Fort  Barry. 
"Come  on,  you  chow-hounds.  Seconds 
now,  seconds,"  and  they  all  came  a-run- 
ning,  and  it  looked  mighty  inviting  at  that. 

After  reaching  the  lighthouse  the  re- 
turn trip  may  be  varied  by  shunting  off  to 
the  right  after  passing  the  rifle  range. 
This  road  is  the  "skyline"  and  affords  a 
wonderful  sight  of  the  city  and  the  Gate. 


Gate  is  well  de- 
scribed by  a  tour- 
ist of  the  days 
when  motor  cars 
were   unknown: 

"Across  the  nar- 
row strait  lies  the 
Presidio,  the  cliffs 
and  Seal  Rocks.  San 
Francisco's  hills 
bound  the  south- 
eastern horizon; 
vessels      of     every 


- '  7{r  J>f£jsy2/n:>  ■ 


fashion  sail  or  steam  to  and  fro,  laden  with 
the  wealth  of  nations,  while  the  jagged 
coast  stretches  northward  followed  by 
It  has  its  outlet  at  "Sugarloaf  Bay,"  a  tiny  breakers  that  form  a  long  line  of  foam, 
inlet  that  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  The  eye  looks  north  as  far  as  Bolinas  and 
Avalon,   Santa   Catalina   Island.  the   reef   below   Duxbury    Point,   to   reach 

Red  berries  are  in  bloom  and  the  road  which  is  a  day's  journey  along  a  coast  and 
is  lined  with  them  on  the  way  to  Sau-  mountain  road  of  rare  beauty.  Bolinas 
salito.  The  entire  route  round  trip  covers  with  its  pretty  bay,  the  greater  part  of 
approximately  30  miles  without  taking  into    which   at   low   tide   is   transformed   into   a 


great  sand  bed.  slumbers  quietly  the 
greater  part  of  the  year,  content  with  its 
rich  soil  and  gigantic  clams  until  the  sum- 
mer solstice  sends  humanity  to  its  beach 
for  breath,  of  which  there  is  abundance. 
Yet  time  was  when  Bolinas  supplied  San 
Francisco  with  its  lumber.  Unique  and 
wild  as  is  the  coast  road  from  Sausalito 
to  Bolinas,  it  hardly  eclipses  the  mountain 
route  between  these  points." 


IS 


MILL  VALLEY  AND  MUIR  WOODS- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


The  famous  redwood  grove  that  bears  the  name  of  John  Muir  attracts  thousands  of  week-end  tourists  throughout  the  year. 
It  is  an  ideal  Sunday's  drive  for  the  motorist.  The  road  circles  about  the  base  of  Mt.  Tamalpais,  which  stands  as  a  mighty  sentinel 
over  the  Golden  Gate.  At  the  upper  left  is  the  new  San  Rafael  church,  which  stands  on  the  site  of  the  old  mission.  At  the 
right  is  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Liberty  Six,  beside  one  of  the  sloping  knolls  that  are  now  covered  with  wild  flowers.  The 
picture  in  the  center  was  taken  at  "Inspiration  Point,"  with  Mt.  Tamalpais  in  the  background.  Below  is  the  map  of  the  trip, 
drawn   by   "The    Examiner"   staff   artist. 


iLntriir^fiitiTnrfyfrf7/y<'rr,.tirr^ci^t*ri^'^tfVjf  ..;*,- j^*.-/.i„ 


TTNDER  the  shadow  of  Mt. 
^^  Tamalpais.  which,  like  a 
sentinel  on  guard  over  the 
Golden  Gate,  raises  its  tower- 
ing head  2,700  feet  above  the 
bay,  lies  one  of  the  most  pic- 
turesque regions  in  this  land 
of  the  marvelous.  Thousands 
of  bay  city  residents  seek  this 
glorious  out  of  door  land  every 
week;  the  hills  are  covered 
with  hikers,  and,  with  the  im- 
provement of  the  roads  and  the 
paving  of  the  highways,  it  i^ 
now  an  attractive  district  for 
the  motor  tourist. 

From  "Inspiration  Point"  a 
wonderful  panorama  is  un- 
folded with  the  triple-headed 
mountain  peak  as  the  "rear 
drop"  for  the  scene.  The  tiny 
homes  are  rapidly  climbing  the 
mountainside,  blazing  a  trail 
through  the  chaparral  and 
forests.  And  the  wild  flowers, 
too,  are  there  gilding  the  hills 
with  golden  poppies  and  but- 
tercups, with  here  and  there  a 
patch  of  deep  blue  where  the 
lupin    grows. 

The  county  derives  its  name 
from  Marin,  famous  chief  of 
the  Lacatuits,  who  preceded 
the  American  settlers.  Marin 
kept  out  the  Spaniards  in  the 
early  days  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  but  in  1824  he  was 
captured  and  his  tribe  was 
scattered.     Marin  later  escaped 

and  took  refuge  on  the  tiny  island  in  the  terest  of  Peta- 
bay  which  has  since  borne  his  name.  luma    the  mission 

Marin    was    recaptured    and    was    saved  ' 

from  death  only  by  the  intervention  of  romance  ot  old 
some  mission  priests  of  the  Mission  San  San  Rafael — all, 
Rafael,  which  is  now  restored.  Marin  all  add  their  bit 
was  converted' to  Christianity  and  died  in  to  the  pictur- 
San  Rafael  in  1834.  esque  ensemble. 

Three  hundred  years  before  Marin  And  then  the 
settled  on  the  promontory  Cabrillo  and  Sir  woods,  the  gi- 
Francis   Drake    landed    there.  gantic       redwood 


the  wilder- 
ness,  the  tang 
of  the  forest, 
is  on  the  air. 

"The  Exam- 
iner" scout 
car,  a  Liberty 
six,  mapped 
out  the  trip 
for  the  bay 
city  motorists 
and  found  the 
highways  in 
excellent  shape 
and  the 
scenery 
"dolled  up"  in 
her  Sunday 
best  for  all  the 
world  to  see. 

There  are 
many  deriva- 
tions suggested 
for  the  name 
of  Tamalpais. 
Someone  has 
decided  that 
' '  T  a  m  a  I ' ' 
means    coast 


But  apart  from  the  historical  interest  of  forest  named  in  honor  of  California's  great  and  "pais"  mountain,  so  Tamalpais  would 
the  land  about  the  base  of  Tamalpais  its  naturalist,  John  Muir,  there  is  an  objective  be  the  "Coast  Mountain."  Another  author- 
scenic  value  is  recognized  by  every  visitor,  that  in  itself  makes  the  motor  trip  to  the  ity  derives  the  name  from  the  Aztec  "tamal" 
Sausalito  (little  willow  copse)  is  a  pic-  foot  of  Tamalpais  worth  the  while.  Fern  meaning  a  boiled  preparation  of  corn  meal 
turesque  little  town  and  as  the  rendezvous  and  bracken,  shaded  aisles  through  which  and  meat  wrapped  in  a  corn  husk,  similar 
of  the  yachtsmen  comes  into  social  prom-  the  sunbeams  dance,  mossy  banks  and  bril-  to  the  Mexican  "tamales."  "Pais"  is  Span- 
inence    during   the    summer    season.  liant    wild    blooms    of    every    variety — this 

The    banks    of    the    San    Gregorio,    with  seems    Eden    itself.      The      azure    of     the 

their  wild  tangle   of  greenery,  the   quaint-  heavens   is    seen   through    the    network   of 

ness  of  San   Anselmo,  the  commercial  in-  foliage    and    everywhere    the    perfume    of 


ish    for   "country"   and    the   name   may   be 
classed  as  a  probable  hybrid. 

The  mountain  itself  constitutes  the  major 
portion  of   Marin   County. 


19 


GREEN  VALLEY  FALLS  AND  THE  VACA  VALLEY— AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Sheltered  from  the  chiN  ocean  breezes  and  bordered  by  rolling  hills,  northeast  of  Vallejo  lie  the  picturesque  regions  of  Green 

J-^  f,"^  Vacav.lle.      The  Exammer"  scout  car,  a  new  Jackson,  mapped  out  the  trip  for  motorists  of  the  bay  cities      Mare  Island 

and  Vallejo  City  are  supplied  with  water  from  the  springs  that  lie  in  Green  Valley,  while  from  the  tiny  Vaca  Valley  come  the  early 

fruits  that  have  made  California  famous  throughout  the  East      Paved  highway  extends  all  the  way,  wTlh  no  detours  to  gtrner  dust 

and    worry.      The    map,    by   "The    Examiner"   staff    artist,   shows  the  route  taken  by  the  scout  car.  aarner  oust 


anTi/e 


M ocusrs 


/^  NE  of  the  characteristics 
^^  of  the  picturesque  region 
of  the  north  coast  is  the  suc- 
cession of  tiny  valleys  ex- 
tending from  Tamalpais  to 
the  lowlands  of  the  Sacra- 
mento. A  nature  -  loving 
motorist  might  spend  a 
whole  summer  traveling  in 
and  out  of  these  sheltered 
canyons  over  the  network  of 
roads  that  form  the  arteries 
of  trade  for  those  who  live 
on  the  hillsides. 

There    is  an   ever-changing 
scene     in    the     neighborhood 
of     Clear     Lake;     there     are 
romance    and    color    on    the 
slopes  of  Mt.  St.  Helena,  for 
that  was  a  land  sacred  to  the 
memory     of     Robert     Louis 
Stevenson;     in     the     Sonoma 
country   Jack    London    found 
a    great    deal    of    his    inspira- 
tion; there  is  a  touch  of  Italy  and  the  hills 
of  Provence  in  the  neighborhood  of  Napa, 
there   are    strange    wonders   of    Nature    in 
the  land  of  the  geysers  at  Calistoga  and 
in  the  Petrified   Forests  that  lie  as  monu- 
ments to  a  day  when  man  was  not. 

Then  in  the  back  country  of  Vallejo  and 
Benicia  there  are  havens  galore  for  the 
motor  tourist,  picnic  spots  that  lie  within 
a  few  hours'  ride  of  the  bay  cities.  "The 
Examiner"  scout  car,  a  new  Jackson,  vis- 
ited the  canyon  of  Green  Valley  and  the 
fruit  region  of  Vacaville  and  mapped  out 
the  trip  for  bay  city  motorists. 

The  ferry  carries  you  over  the  Car- 
quinez  Straits,  where  as  late  as  1847  great 
bands  of  elk  were  to  be  found  on  their 
way  from  Livermore  to  the  pastures 
around  Clear  Lake.  At  Vallejo,  if  you 
wish  to  visit  the  picturesque  Green  Valley 
Falls,  a  permit  must  be  secured,  as  the 
canyon  is  carefully  guarded  as  the  water 
source  of  Mare  Island  and  Vallejo. 

At  the  fork  of  the  road  at  Cordelia  you 
encounter  the  State   Automobile   Associa- 


tion sign  reading, 
"G  reen  Valley 
Falls,  4  miles,"  and 
you  turn  into  a 
paved  roadway  that 
leads   to   one   of   the 

prettiest  little  sections  the  State  can  boast. 
Through  an  aisle  of  locusts,  with  vine- 
yards on  either  side  and  here  and  there  a 
stretch  of  cherry  orchards  and  acres  of 
apricots     and     pears,     and     your     speeding 


trip  is  resumed 
up  hill  and  down 
dale  over  the  Sui- 
sun  hills  to  Vaca- 
ville. Edwin 
Markham,  author 
of  "The  Man 
With  the  Hoe," 
in  his  boyhood 
d  ay  s  tended 
sheep  on  these 
imier  rolling  slopes  and 
has  found  many 
an  inspiration  for 
his  verse  from 
this  beautiful 
country. 

The  Vaca  Val- 
ley is  revealed  to 
the  motorist  as 
the  car  speeds 
through  the  arch 
after  the  ten-mile 
journey  over  the 
winding  highway 
from  Fairfield 
and  Suisun.  In 
the  center  of  the  valley  is  "Old  Rocky," 
a  tall,  rock-crowned  barren  peak  that  com- 
mands a  wonderful  view  of  the  fertile 
country  that  stretches  away  to  the  hills 
that  enclose  the  valley.     From  this  can  be 


chariot  brings  you  to  the  gateway  of  the    seen  Pleasant  Valley  and  Wincers,  and  the 


valley.  The  valley  is  well  named.  Fern 
and  bracken  and  wildflowers  of  every  de- 
scription line  the  narrow  footpath  that 
leads  to  the  waterfall.  The  cascade,  itself 
more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  is  pre- 
cipitated through  a  network  of  vines  inter- 
woven with  three-fingered  fern  and  the 
heavy    foliage,    densely    massed    on    either 


that    are    so 


well 

IS"' 


priceless    cherry    lands 
known  in  the  East. 

Beyond  Pleasant  Valley  the  hills. drop 
to  the  Putah  Creek  Canyon,  where  the 
water  flows  fresh  and  cool  from  its  wan- 
derings through  Berryessa  and  the  wild 
ravines   beyond. 

On    the    return    trip,    after   passing    Cor- 


side    of   the   falls,    glistens   in   the   sunlight  delia,  turn  left  on  the  highway  to  Benicia, 

that  sifts  through  the  heavy  growth  at  the  and  after  crossing  to  Martinez  on  the  ferry 

summit  of  the  gorge.  try  the  scenic  highway  that  runs  along  the 

After  a  luncheon  beside  the  brook   that  bay    shore    to    Crockett.     That   stretch    in 

threads    its    way    through    the    valley,    the  itself  is  well  worth  the  trip. 


20 


THE  CIRCLE  OF  MOUNT  TAMALPAIS- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


A  series  of  vistas  of  mountain,  sea  and  valley  is  included  on  the  "Great  Circle"  of  Tamalpais,  the  mountain  sentinel  of  San 
Francisco  Bay.  "The  Examiner"  scout  oar,  a  Stephens  Salient  Six,  routed  a  pleasant  one-day's  excursion  in  Mann  county  for  bay 
city  motorists  which  follows  the  windings  of  the  Olympic  Club's  Dipsea  trail  to  Willow  Camp  and  Stinson  beach  and  then  takes 
the  mountain  road  for  Fairfax  and  San  Anselmo.  Marin  county  is  full  of  historic  landmarks,  the  place-names  themselves  recall- 
ing the  days  of  the  Indians  and  some  of  the  early  explorers,  such  as  Drake  and  Bodega. 


'T'HERE'S  a  delightful  one- 
^  day  automobile  excur- 
sion for  the  bay  city  motorist 
that  is  sometimes  overlooked 
because  it  is  a  little  off  the 
paved  highway.  It's  a  favored 
jaunt  of  the  hikers  and  the 
Olympic  Club  has  set  it  down 
as  its  own  particular  province, 
but  it  is  not  frequented  as  often 
as  it  should  be  by  the  motorist. 

The  ferry  to  Sausalito,  a  few 
miles  along  the  highway,  a  turn 
to  the  left   over   a    narrow  but 
very  acceptable  piece  of  gravel 
mountain  road  and  you  are  on 
the  way  to  Willow  Camp  and 
Stinson  Beach  and  making  the 
Great   Circle  with   Mt.  Tamal- 
pais   as    the    radiating    center. 
Half  of  the  trip  runs  beside  the 
ocean's  brim  and  half  of  it  on  the   wind- 
ing,   picturesque    way    through    Manzanita 
Canyon    and    Tamalpais   Valley,    threading 
through     shady     lanes     and     picturesque, 
wooded  slopes,  with  now  and  then  a  pic- 
ture of  the  open  sea  framed  by  the  circling 
branches  of  the  wind-torn   oaks. 

The  old  mountain  sentinel  of  the  Marin 
Peninsula  stands  2,700  feet  up  in  the  clouds, 
and  on  the  day  the  scout  car,  a  Stephens 
Salient  Six,  negotiated  the  trip  the  fogs 
were  rolling  up  the  sides  of  the  precipitous 
>ea  slopes  and  wreathing  the  peak  in  a  hoary 
beard  of  mist.  Forest  and  chaparral  cover 
its  sides  and  there's  many  a  tiny  creek  that 
rolls  its  way  down  through  the  craggy 
!..  ghts.  _  , 

The  Nicasio  Indians  used  to  live  near 
Mt.  Tamalpais  and  it  is  thought  that  their 
language  gave  the  mountain  its  name. 
"Tamal"  means  "coast"  and  "pais"  "moun- 
tain." There  is  also  a  supposition  extant 
that  the  mountain  was  named  after  an 
Indian  tribe  called  the  "Tomales."  Marin 
County  itself  received  its  name  from  the 
chief  of  the  Lacatuits,  who  opposed  the 
Spanish  occupancy  of  the  land  between 
1815  and  1824.  Only  a  few  miles  north  of 
the    mountain    was    the    landing    place    of 


Cabrillo  in  1542 
and  of  Sir  Fran- 
cis Drake  in  1579. 
Under  orders 
from  Philip  of 
Spain,  General 
Sebastian  Viscaino 
explored  the  coast 
of  California  and 
anchored  in  1603 
under  the  lee  of 
Point  Reyes.  He 
it  was  who  gave 
the    name    to    the 

treacherous  jut  of  land  "Punta  de  los 
Reyes"  or  "Point  of  the  Kings."  The  first 
known  wreck  on  the  California  coast  oc- 
curred in  1595,  when  Sebastian  Cermenon, 
en    route    from    Manila   to    Acapulco,    was 


C/V  A£fJ.  //V>7^_  ^WV 


where  Bodega  y  Quadra  landed  on   Octo- 
ber 3,  1775,  and  Fort  Ross,  where  Russia 
once    had    a    flourishing    settlement    and 
where  the  old  Greek  church  still  stands. 
The  Stephens  car  that  made  the  trip  was 


beached  at  Point  Reyes.     So  the  whole  of    admirably  suited  to  the  excursion,  making 
Marin   County  abounds  with  historical  in-     the  steepest  kind  of  hills  in  high  gear  and 


terests  as  well  as  with  the  picturesque. 

The  Dipsea  race,  the  annual  run  of  the 
Olympic  Club,  travels  over  much  of  the 
ground  the  motorist  covers  in  his  circle  of 
the  peak.  The  trip  may  be  made  a  two- 
days'  outing  with  additional  pleasure  to  the 
tourist  by  driving  on   up  to   Bodega   Bay, 


adding  a  feelirrg  of  confidence  by  its  abil- 
ity to  glide  around  turns  where  you  almost 
meet  yourself  coming  back. 

The  roads  are  good  on  the  entire  trip  in 
spite  of  the  winding  quality  of  the  moun- 
tain trails,  and  although  it  is  necessary  to 
use  care  in  driving  there  is  no  danger. 


21 


THE  PETRIFIED  FOREST- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


One  of  California's  wonder  spots,  the  remarkable  petrified  forest  with  its  age-old  gigantic  redwoods  preserved  in  stone,  is 
a  pleasant  day's  jaunt  for  the  automobile  driver  of  the  bay  cities.  Good  roads  going  and  coming,  and  hills  from  which  the  his- 
toric vista  of  the  Valley  of  the  Moon  and  the  land  of  the  geyser  may  be  glimpsed,  provided  an  Essex  party  with  pleasure  galore. 
The  trip  as  mapped  out  by  "The  Examiner"  "scout  car"  afFords  the  motorist  an  opportunity  to  see  one  of  the  marvelous  scenic 
districts  of  the  State.  Here  are  the  "Monarch"  and  the  "Queen  of  the  Forest,"  two  gigantic  trees  preserved  in  stone.  The 
lower   picture    shows   a    spouting    geyser    in   the    outskirts    of    Calistoga. 


Over  hill, 
Over  dale. 
Through 

brush. 
Through 

briar — 

TIKE  the 
^-^  immortal 
Puck  of 
Shake  speare 
is   the    m  o- 

torist  who  essays  the  wooded  hills  of 
Napa  and  Sonoma  counties,  and  like  that 
immortal  sprite  he  feels  himself  in  a  land 
"where  the  wild  thyme  blows,  where  ox- 
slips  and  the  nodding  violet  grows." 
There  is  a  joy  in  visiting  those  enchanted 
hills  that  surround  the  far-famed  Valley 
of  the  Moon  and  that  joy  is  intensified  a 
thousand  fold  when  one  is  speeding  with 
the  wings  of  the  wind  over  smooth  moun- 
tain roads  with  the  sweet  scent  of  the 
wild   foliage   on   the   air. 

The  objective  of  "The  Examiner"  scout 
car,  an  Essex,  was  the  Petrified  Forest 
in  the  shadow  of  Mt.  St.  Helena,  but 
the  pleasure  of  the  trip  was  not  wholly 
included  in  the  objective.  There  were  the 
terraced  vineyards  with  the  vines  bending 
under  their  load  of  black  grapes,  terraces 
that  seemed  as  if  a  bit  of  the  old  world 
had  been  transplanted  to  bask  in  the  Cali- 
fornia sun;  there  were  slopes  that  pastured 
great  flocks  of  sheep  and  other  hillsides 
where  cattle  grazed. 

Luther  Burbank's  wonder  garden  at 
Santa  Rosa,  the  spouting  geysers  of  Calis- 
toga, the  great  redwoods,  the  madrones 
and  the  forests  of  manzanita,  all  these 
were  included  in   the   itinerary  that  in   its 


entirety  included  less  than  two  hundred 
miles,  all  within  the  half-day's  run  from 
San  Francisco. 

The  Napa  and  Calistoga  country  has 
been  called  the  "Champaign  country"  of 
the   coast.      One   writer   describes   it   thus: 

"There  is  no  part  of  California  wherein 
so  great  a  variety  of  crops  is  produced, 
chiefly  without  irrigation,  as  in  the  valleys 
and  on  the  hillsides  of  this  district,  and 
which  is  called  the  'Champaign  Country' 
of  the  State.  To  those  who  know  and 
admire  the  rolling  hills  of  Central  Mary- 
land and  Virginia — the  region  above  the 
dead  levels  and  below  the  mountain  fast- 
nesses—  the  term  has  especial  fitness. 
Men  love  such  a  land;  they  knit  their 
hearts  fast  to  the  soil;  their  pioneer  farms 
become  ancestral  homesteads  and  sacred 
possessions  never  to  pass  into  alien  hands. 
Leave  the  great  Connecticut  Valley,  and 
wander  among  the  Farmington  hills,  and 
you  shall  see  how  beautiful  the  vales  of 
the  uplands  can  become." 

The  Petrified  Forest  in  Sonoma  County 
contains  a  stony  record  of  the  day  when 
Mt.  St.  Helena,  five  miles  away,  poured 
out  its  volcanic  fire  and  lava  and  em- 
bedded the  great  redwood  trees  in  an  ashy 


coffin,  then  transformed  them  from  wood 
to  stone,  stone  that  runs  from  an  opales- 
cent pink  to  an  ochre.  Every  thread  of 
the  bark  has  been  preserved  by  this 
strange  mummification  of  these  forest 
giants  that  tell  as  marvelous  a  story  as 
any  of  ancient  legend — it  seems  as  if  a 
Perseus  had  passed  that  way  bearing  be- 
fore him  the  horrid  head  of  Medusa  and 
a  forest  had  been  changed  to  stone. 

The  Grant,  which  is  25  acres  in  extent, 
was  discovered  in  1871  by  Charles  Evans. 
Since  that  time  continued  excavations 
have  uncovered  more  and  more  of  the 
buried  monsters.  The  "Monarch"  is  126 
feet  long,  a  perfect  specimen  of  redwood — 
Sculptress  Nature  has  done  her  work  well. 
Another  tree,  the  "Queen  of  the  Forest," 
is  80  feet  long  and  12  feet  in  diameter. 
There  is  a  pine  tree,  too,  100  feet  in 
length,  embedded  in  the  volcanic  ash,  and 
great  stumps  that  loom  like  ghosts  in  the 
midst  of  their  living  younger  descendants. 

Scientists  who  have  visited  the  forest 
state  that  the  petrified  trees  probably  have 
been  buried  for  more  than  10,000  years. 
A  thick  layer  of  rhyolite  was  found  in  one 
of  the  "tombs." 

On  the  homeward  journey  from  the 
forest  the  Calistoga  geysers  were  visited 
and  then  on  through  the  vineyards  of 
Napa  County  to  the  Rodeo  ferry  and 
home. 


22 


THE  GEYSERS  OF  SONOMA  COUNTY- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


One  of  the  most  curious  of  California's  scenic  wonders  is  to  be  found  in  Sonoma  County.  The  ge'ysers  of  Pluton  Valley 
rival  the  conceptions  of  Dore  in  weird  panorama.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Nash,  made  the  round  trip  in  a  day,  taking 
the  winding  mountain  grade  through  the  Alexander  Valley  and  around  Geyser  Peak.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  vistas  to  be 
found    in   the    State    is   the   view  of  the    Russian    River   Valley   from  the  summit. 


Mm. 


!,-«-<« 


«dl 


g    S^ 


Double,   double,   toil   and   trouble. 
Fire    burn    and    cauldron    bubble. 


AN  ideal  setting  for  the  witch  scene 
from  Shakespeare  s  "Macbeth"  is 
found  within  a  day's  ride  by  automobile 
from  San  Francisco.  But  in  this  case 
there  is  little  toil,  even  for  the  motor  car. 
and  no  trouble  at  all  unless  the  tires  de- 
cide to  pick  up  a  nail  or  a  similar  enemy 
of  rul)t)er  en  route.  The  fires  that  burn 
are  deep  down  in  the  mountain  side  and 
the  cauldrons  that  bubble  and  spout  are 
gigantic  bits  of  the  jagged  cliff  itself. 

This  strange  bit  of  California  lies  in 
Sonoma  County  and  goes  under  the  name 
of  "The  Geysers."  In  that  little  canyon 
there  are  springs  of  every  conceivable 
description,  mineral  springs  of  medicinal 
power,  springs  of  epsom  salts,  of  citrate 
of  magnesia  and  sulphurous  pits  of  for- 
bidding mien.  Nature  has  done  old  Doc- 
tor Dante  one  better  and  the  sublime 
imaginings  of  Dore  seem  real  when  one 
gazes  up  Pluton  Canyon  and  watches  the 
steamy  vapors  pouring  from  a  hundred 
fissures   in   the   rock. 

The  approach  to  Pluton  Valley  may  be 
made  over  a  winding  mountain  road  that 
swings  off  the  State  highway  just  before 
Geyserville  is  reached.  One  of  the  best 
mountain  roads  in  California  is  this  climb 
from  Alexander  Valley  around  Geyser 
Peak  and  a  wonderful  panorama  of  the 
valley  of  Calistoga  is  the  reward  of  the 
motorist  who  essays  this  route.  Another 
way  in  or  out  is  by  way  of  Sulphur  River 
Canyon    and    Cloverdale. 

The  geysers  are  sixteen  miles  oflf  the 
main    coast    highway.      The    "end    of    the 


trail"  was 
the  site  of 
the  old 
Geysers  Ho- 
tel, a  land- 
mark of  the 
early  days, 
and  a  new 
and  finer 
resort  is 
now  to  be 
found 

nestled  r    xu 

among    the    fir    and    pepper    trees    of    the 
canyon.  , 

Pluton  Creek,  that  flows  through  the 
valley,  abounds  in  trout  and  deer  are 
plentiful  throughout  the  surroundmg  hills. 
The  hunting  season  opened  August  1  and 
a  number  of  parties  of  local  sportsmen 
have  found  an  abundance  of  game  m  that 
quarter.  Quail  make  the  canyon  a  rendez- 
vous and  the  wooded  slopes  seem  to 
almost  be  alive  with  the  wild  life  that  they 
conceal. 

We  left  the  Geysers  in  the  Nash  scout 
car  as  the  sun  was  setting  and  reached 
the  summit  just  as  the  roseate  glow  cov- 
ered the  western  horizon.  In  the  fore- 
ground the  darkening  hills  stood  out  in 
the  indistinct  shadows.  On  one  side  the 
valley  of  the  Russian  River,  with  its  culti- 
vated fields  standing  out  as  checkerboards 
of  yellow  and  brown  and  green.  Almost 
as  high  as  the  mountains  of  the  Coast 
Range  it  is  a  gorgeous  panorama  of  color. 
That  in  itself  was  worth  the  excursion. 

The  round  trip  can  easily  be  made  in  a 
day,  but  for  a  week-end  jaunt  it  provides 

23 


ample  opportunity  to  sample  the  Califor- 
nia Spa  and  enjoy  the  beauties  of  the  re- 
markable Pluton  Canyon. 

As  a  healthy  atmosphere  includes  an  op- 
portunity of  recreation  for  mind  and  body 
as  well  as  a  chance  for  medicinal  treatment 
of  the  required  variety,  it  would  seem  that 
this  little  Plutonian  vale  would  answer  all 
the  requirements  for  the  seeker  after  a  va- 
cation trip  that  would  result  in  a  renewal 
of  health.  The  hills  afford  a  wonderful 
field  for  the  hiker  and  there's  plenty  of 
room  even  for  a  golf  enthusiast. 


REDWOOD  CANYON  AND  MT.  DIABLO- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  an  Oakland,  made  the  journey  through  Redwood  Canyon  and  over  the  Mt.  Diablo  highway. 
The  Redwood  Canyon  road  is  in  excellent  shape.  The  scene  (1)  at  the  left  was  taken  in  Redwood  Canyon  and  is  typical  of  the 
scenery  in  that  delightful  retreat.  At  the  right  (2)  is  one  of  the  magnificent  homes  that  lie  at  the  base  of  the  mountain. 
Below  are  the  scenes  on  the  Mt.  Diablo  mountain  climb:  (3)  The  barren  side  of  the  mountain,  (4)  Turtleback  Rock,  (5)  the 
toll  gate.     Map  by  "The  Examiner"  staff  artist. 


CALIFORNIA  redwoods,  fam- 
ous the  world  over,  lie  within 
an  hour's  drive  of  the  bay  cities. 
One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
short  trips  about  the  bay  is  over 
the  rolling  hills  back  of  Berkeley 
and  Oakland,  through  forest 
aisles  lined  with  tall  trees  that 
sing  an  endless  song  atune  with 
the  zechyrs  that  steal  in  from  the 
bay.  On  either  side  of  the  road- 
way the  fern  and  bracken  form  a 
retreat  for  the  wild  life,  the  quail, 
the  rabbit  and  the  crawling  things 
that  appear  with  the  spring. 

A  half  hour  from  the  Oakland 
city  limits  and  the  motorist  passes 
from  the  realm  of  civilization  to 
the  barren  outlook  of  rolling  hills 
of  sagebrush  and  sand.  These  are 
the  "back-lands"  of  the  ancient 
volcanic  peak  of  Mt.  Diablo  and 
the  very  loneliness  of  that  rapidly 
diminishing  vacant  stretch  bears 
a  strong  resemblance  to  the 
southern  California  desert  lands  where  the 
"lion  and  lizard"  are  at  home. 

Picnickers  may  find  here  a  thousand 
scenic  retreats  to  their  liking.  It  is  as  if 
a  giant  hand  had  lifted  a  bit  of  the  wild 
Mendocino  country  from  its  native  soil 
and  joined  it  with  a  handful  of  Death  Val- 
ley waste,  then  placed  it  at  the  very  gates 
of  a  great  city.  Indeed,  that  is  one  of  the 
joys  of  California,   so   many  varied   land- 


scapes, sierras 
and    desert 
wastes,  river  and 
bay     and     ocean, 
gigantic  and  soli- 
tary peaks  guarded  by  the  rolling  foothills, 
orchard  and  farm  and  vineyard  alternating 
with  forest  and  sagebrush  and  sand. 

"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  new  Oak- 
land, drove  to  Mount  Diablo,  at  the  foot 
of  which  are  the  Mt.  Diablo  Golf  and 
Country  Club  and  a  hundred  beautiful 
homes  that  reflect  the  Spanish  influence  in 
the  architectural  monuments  of  California. 
The  scenery  from  the  winding  path  that 


climbs  the  ancient  volcanic 
peak  would  warrant  the  State 
Highway  Commission  taking 
over  the  road  and  putting  it 
into  shape  for  year  round 
travel. 

Mt.  Diablo  towers  3,869  feet 
from  the  level  of  the  bay  and 
from  its  lofty  crest  a  wonderful 
panorama  of  the  bay  district  is 
revealed.   From  Tamalpais  over 
on  the  Marin  side  to  Hamilton,  near  San 
Jose,  the  contour  of  the  rugged  coast  ap- 
pears.   To  the  north  is  Mt.  St.  Helena,  her 
peak  often  capped  with  snow. 

The  rocky  formations  of  the  mountain 
take  on  peculiar  shapes.  The  turtleback 
rock  is  one  of  the  sights  and  landmarks  of 
the  trail,  while  farther  on  there  is  the 
camel  rock,  a  strange,  ghostly  figure  that 
startles  the  vision  as  it  looms  around  the 
turn  of  the  hill.  These  are  the  "pyramids'* 
and  "sphinxes"  of  that  curious  old  moun- 
tain. 

Wild  flowers  are  found  through  the  en- 
tire journey. 


24 


THE  CIRCLE  OF  MT.  DIABLO- 


AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Over  broad,  paved  highways  of  concrete,  through  the  Berkeley  Hills,  along  the  shore  of  Suisun  Bay,  where  the  Sac- 
ramento and  San  Joaquin  rivers  meet  in  their  race  to  the  sea,  through  the  factory  towns  of  Pittsburg  and  Antioch  and  the 
famous  Altamont  Pass,  once  a  bandit  haunt,  circling  the  sentinel  of  the  East  Bay  region,  bleak  Mt.  Diablo,  "The  Examiner" 
scout  car,  a  Davis  Six,  sped.     It  is  a  pleasant  day's  journey,  varied  in  scenery  and  easy  on  car  and  passenger. 


"C  OR  a  day's  motor  excursion  over  paved 
■^  highways,  with  a  variety  of  scenery 
and  an  introduction  to  one  of  the  most 
rapidly  growing  sections  in  the  State,  the 
circle  of  Mt.  Diablo  is  an  excellent  choice. 
The  outstanding  natural  feature  of  the  east 
bay  district  is  that  sentinel  peak  of  the 
rugged  hills  that  slope  to  the  bay.  Over- 
looking the  fruitful  valleys  that  border  the 
San  Joaquin  as  well  as  the  more  distant 
borderlands  of  the  Sacramento,  it  offers  a 
view  at  once  diversified  and  picturesque. 

Its  name,  derived  from  the  rocky,  bar- 
ren appearance  of  its  higher  slopes,  fails 
to  convey  any  terrors  into  the  regions  that 
lie  about  its  base,  as  on  every  side  there 
are  orchards  and  farms  and  wide  awake 
villages  that  are  growing  only  as  Califor- 
nia villages  can  grow.  Thirty  miles  away, 
across  the  bay,  is  Mt.  Tamalpais.  Sixty 
miles  to  the  north,  at  the  head  of  the  Napa 
valley,  is  Mt.  St.  Helena  and  far  to  the 
south  is  Mt.  Hamilton,  the  lair  of  the  star 
gazers. 

The  circuit  of  this  unique  monument  of 
nature  leads  the  tourist  from  Oakland  into 
the  college  town  of  Berkeley,  along  the 
winding  slopes  of  the  Berkeley  hills,  over 
the  tunnel  road  to  Lafayette  and  Walnut 
Creek  and  then  over  the  newly  paved  high- 
way   which     Contra    Costa    County    has 


LiveaMoat 


opened  to  the  manufacturing  towns  of  An- 
tioch and  Pittsburg.  A  pleasant  luncheon 
at  Brentwood's  new  hotel  and  then  on 
through  Byron  Hot  Springs  to  the  Lincoln 
highway,  through  the  Altamont  pass, 
where  there  is  still  a  stretch  or  two  of 
pavement  to  be  built.  The  entire  trip  has 
little  dirt  road  and  the  unpaved  stretches 
are  in  good  shape  for  travel. 

Here  is  the  way  a  writer  described  the 
vista  from  Diablo  in  the  early  nineties: 
The  wheat  fields  seem  to  be  contracted 
to  small  squares,  the  orchards  into  still 
smaller  ones;  the  nearest  farm  houses 
appear  hardly  larger  than  bird  cages, 
and  San  Francisco  is  reduced  to  a  pic- 


ture;   but    with    a    powerful 
glass  the  spars  of  the  ship- 
ping   that    lines    the    water 
front   look   like   a   forest   of 
dead  trees  where  a  fire  has 
lapped  up  every  green  thing. 
By  way  of  relief  some  ships, 
like  toys,  are  seen  coming  in 
or    going    out    with    white 
specks  of  canvas  which  seem 
to  kiss  the  water.     But  the 
view  which  is  printed  as  it 
were  on  the  very  soul  is  that 
beheld  in  looking  across  the 
great    San    Joaquin    Valley, 
-  ■        beyond  all  the  towns  and  vil- 
lages that  dot  the  plain,  in- 
terblending  with  tilth  of  fields  and  em- 
erald squares  of  vineyard  to  the  western 
slope  of  the  Sierra,  and  beyond  to  the 
great   domes   and   peaks  lifted  up  from 
ten    thousand    to    fifteen    thousand    feet 
above    the    sea,    clad    in    eternal    white, 
watching  in  serene  majesty  over  all  the 
peaceful  and  fruitful  valleys. 
No  artist  can  paint  the  landscape  which 
the   eye  takes  in.     Its  majesty  and  glory 
and   sweet   peace   are   reserved    for    those 
who  ascend  Mount  Diablo,  camping  on  the 
flank    over    night    and    watching    for    the 
dawn  on  the  top,  when  the  sun  gilds  these 
white    crests    and    floods    all    the    valleys 
with  light. 


as 


UP  HILL  AND  DOWN  DALE  IN  LAKE  COUNTY AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Up  the  State  Highway  to  Ukiah,  then  over  the  hills  to  Blue  Lakes  and  Lakeport,  to  the  shore  of  the  picturesque  Clear  Lake, 
was  the  route  followed  by  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Maxwell,  the  other  day.  Forest  and  meadow,  sharp  ascents 
and  deep  valleys,  make  the  trip  one  replete  with  thrills  as  well  as  full  of  pleasure  in  the  wild  work  of  Nature  that  distinguishes 
that  remarkable  portion  of  California.  The  map,  drawn  by  "The  Examiner"  staff  artist,  shows  the  best  route  for  the  round 
trip.     It  is  an  easy  two-day  excursion. 


LAKE  COUNTY  is  well  named.  At 
least  we  thought  so  the  other  day. 
The  "we"  in  this  case  included  the  travel- 
ers in  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Max- 
well, who  journeyed  northward  in  quest 
of  a  new  delectable  dish  to  appease  the 
appetite  of  Monsieur  tlie  Bay  City  Mo- 
torist. 

Lake  County  did  itself  proud.  Its  lakes 
were  at  their  best  with  the  addition  of  an 
occasional  cataract  that  precipitated  itself 
over  the  road  with  a  roar  that  would  do 
a  midsummer  Yosemite  waterfall  proud. 
And  "the  rain  it  raineth  every  day"  and 
every  night,   too. 

But  withal  the  rain,  and  the  mud,  and 
ihe  hail,  and  the  snow,  for  we  had  an  in- 
troduction to  each  individually  and  col- 
lectively, it  was  a  trip  well  worth  while. 
The  scenery  was  there  in  all  its  Sunday- 
go-to-meeting,  its  "shining  morning  face" 
well  washed  and  scrubbed,  and  it  was 
scenery  that  made  every  one  in  the  party 
make  a  resolution  to  go  again,  just  as  soon 
as  wash  day  was  over. 


The  pilot  of  the  ex- 
cursion was  "Rosie" 
Rosenthal  of  the  El- 
liott-Pabst  Co.,  and  he 
handles  the  wheel  as 
well  as  he  handles  the 
typewriter,  which  is 
saying  a  great  deal.  There  were  six  pas- 
sengers in  that  little  car,  but  the  car  didn't 
seem  to  mind,  and  as  the  passenger^ 
didn't  everybody  was  happy. 

Have  you  ever  been  out  in  a  real  wet 
rain  in  your  motor  car?  If  not,  you  are 
in  for  a  treat.  When  the  next  showery 
day  comes  around  put  up  the  side  curtains, 
pack  in  the  family,  put  on  a  pair  of  chains 
and  set  out.  It's  about  as  near  the  good 
old  sleigh  ride  parties  as  you  can  get  in 
California.  The  jingling  of  the  chains 
takes  the  place  of  the  bells;  the  warmth 
of  the  motor  is  as  good  as  a  steam  heated 
apartment;  and  I  never  found  any  one  yet 
who   didn't   enjoy   the    rat-a-tat-tat   of   the 

S6 


rain  on  the  root.  A  plug  of 
tobacco  rubbed  on  the 
windshield  gives  the  driver 
a  clear  view  ahead  and 
that's  all  that's  necessary  to 
make  the  tout  ensemble  a 
comfortable  affair. 

But  it  wasn't  all  rain  at 
that.  When  we  arrived  at 
a  spot  that  looked  good  to 
the  photographer,  we  dis- 
played our  press  badge  and 
the  sun  obediently  trotted 
out  from  behind  the  clouds 
to  grace  the  occasion.  Said 
sun  kept  bobbing  back  and 
forth  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  His  Pluvian  Majesty, 
that  old  enemy  of  ball 
games  and  vacationists, 
kept  right  on  the  job  with 
the  dipper.  The  pilot  nego- 
tiated everything  from 
mountain  sides  that  didn't 
appear  extraordinarily 
stable  to  hurdling  fences 
and  other  obstacles  that 
happened  to  float  onto  the 
road. 

All  was  balmy  and  bright  around  the 
bay  when  we  left  on  a  Saturday  morn. 
The  clouds  developed  their  lugubrious 
quality  by  evening  at  Cloverdale,  where 
we  spent  the  night,  and  in  the  dull  gray 
dawn,  which  by  the  way  had  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  middle  of  the  night  for 
a  newspaper  man,  it  was  damp,  very  damp 
outside,  without  your  goloshes  and  an 
umbrella. 

Paved  highway  to  Healdsburg,  then 
good  dirt  road  almost  to  Ukiah,  then  pave- 
ment again,  then  swinging  back  down  the 
route  to  Lakeport  the  way  is  narrow,  up 
hill  and  down  dale,  but  with  an  occasional 
vista  that's   worth  the  trip  in   itself. 


OVER  THE  SCENIC  COAST  ROUTE  NORTH- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


There's  no  more  enjoyable  trip  in  the  log  of  the  motorist  than  that  which  follows  the  Coast  highway  to  Eureka,  through  the 
forests  of  Mendocino  and  the  little  known  wonderlands  of  Humboldt.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Cadillac,  followed  the 
Coast  route  and  brought  back  some  photographic  souvenirs  of  the  northern  country.  The  map,  drawn  by  "The  Examiner" 
staff   artist,   shows   the    main    Coast    highway   to    Crescent    City. 


r^O  you  enjoy  a  panorama  of 
^^  rugged  coast  line,  a  night's 
stop  at  a  lonely  yet  comfortable 
hotel  that  looks  out  on  "the 
multitudinous  seas,"  an  early 
morning  swing  through  the  cool 
redwood  aisles  and  a  stirring 
afternoon's  entertainment  watch- 
ing the  lumber  mills  preparing 
for  the  winter?  Then  take  the 
coast  route  for  Ment'ocino  and 
Humboldt.  Don't  forget  if  it's 
winter-time  to  carry  along  your 
chains,  or  your  curtains  if  you 
drive  an  open  car,  and  a  few 
extra  wraps  to  keep  out  the  "rain 
that  raineth  every  day"  and  the 
winds  that  "blow  their  wintry 
blasts"  athwart  the  rock-bound 
coast. 

The  real  motor  car  fan  gets 
more  enjoyment  out  of  an  ex- 
cursion of  this  kind  than  a  simple 
little  jaunt  on  the  paved  high- 
ways within  a  radius  of  fifty 
miles  from  the  city.  It  may 
rain,  but  the  modern  motor  car 
doesn't  mind  a  little  water  now 
and  then;  it  may  be  cold,  but 
the  brisk  atmosphere  fills  one 
with  the  joy  of  living  and  is  a 
great  antitoxin  for  all  the  worries 
of  life.     Try  it  and   see! 

As   Lillian   Shuey   has   sung  of 
the   Mendocino  country — 
The  breath   of   the  sea  and  the 
cypress, 

A  misty  and  pungent  air — 

Shadows  of  tall  trees  bending 

Into  the  bright  sea  glare. 

The  white  spray  washing  the  headlands, 
The  white  gulls  wheeling  home, 

Dipping  their  wings  in  the  breakers, 
And  treading  the  swift  sea  foam. 

High  cliffs  on  the  edge  of  the  forests, 

Rugged  and  bare  and  steep, 
Whence  the  hunted  deer,  despairing, 

Leaps  to  the  roaring  deep. 


On  the  edge  of  the  cliffs  the  forests, 
Up,  up,  to  the  mountains  high! 

Down  in  the  valleys  descending. 
And  rising  again  to  the  sky. 

Solitudes — lost  to  the  woodman, 
Far  on  the  summits  bright, 

Or  down  the  trackless  canyons. 
Dim  in  the  noonday  light. 


Dim  m  the  noonday  fullness. 
Dark    m    the    cay's    sweet 
morn, 
So   sacred   and   deep   are   the 
canyons, 
Where   the  beautiful  rivers 
are  born. 

Shadowy   roads   winding   up- 
ward, 
Through    the    silences    sol- 
emnly sweet; 
So  tenderly  thrilled  when  the 
warbler 
Sings  in  his  sure  retreat. 


Breath  of  the  sea  and  the 
cypress 
A  misty  and  pungent  air; 
Sea  voices  that  seek  the 
forests 
To  hush  into  silent  prayer. 
Above  Point  Reyes,  in  the 
shadows  of  which  Admiral 
Drake  anchored,  are  the 
rocky  reefs  on  which  many 
an  ill-fated  ship  has  found  its 
last  resting  place.  But  for 
the  motorist  traveling  on  the 
highway  that  skirts  the  coast 
its  rocky  stretches  and  thun- 
dering surf  are  only  addi- 
tional chords  in  the  divine  harmony  of 
nature,  the  vibrant  bass  of  that  mighty 
element,  the  sea.  Swing  in  on  any  of  the 
score  of  highways  that  cross  from  the 
inland  route  to  the  coast  and  you  have 
transported  yourself  into  a  land  of  silence. 
For  there  is  no  place  where  silence  seems 
more  profound  than  in  among  the  trees, 
where  the  slightest  rustle  of  a  twig  makes 
the  interloper  into  the  solitude  start. 


27 


THE  URIAH  TO  TAHOE  HIGHWAY- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


The  Ukiah  to  Tahoe  highway  traverses  some  of  the  most  scenic  country  in  the  State.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  an 
Essex  Sedan,  made  the  trip,  conquering  muddy  and  slippery  mountain  roads  and  fording  many  turbulent  mountain  streams. 
Some  of  the  scenes  snapped  en  route  and  a  map  of  the  tour  are  shown   below. 


av  TH£  IXI/IP  TO  THBMT  fimjss 


UKIAH  TO  TAHOE!  That  has  been 
the  slogan  of  the  good  roads  boosters 
of  Mendocino,  Lake  and  Colusa  counties. 
A  paved  highway  from  the  Mendocino 
capital  to  Williams  would  open  for  year- 
round  traffic  one  of  the  most  scenic  auto- 
mobile routes  on  the  coast.  On  the  sixty 
miles  of  mountain  road  there  is  a  varied 
panorama  that  includes  volcanic  buttes, 
rolling  hill   country,   precipitous  canyons, 


beautiful  streams,  snow  covered  slopes 
and,  as  the  trail  mounts  over  the  last  range 
on  the  way  to  Ukiah,  a  view  of  Clear  Lake 
that  rivals  Tahoe,  "Lake  of  the  Sky"  itself. 

In  the  summer  time,  when  the  moun- 
tain trails  are  in  their  best  shape,  it  is, 
without  paved  highway,  not  the  easiest 
route  on  the  map,  but  in  the  winter  it  is 
registered  as  "impassable." 

It  was  with   the  idea  of  investigating 

28 


road  conditions  on  the  Ukiah 
to  Tahoe  route  that  "The 
Examiner"  scout  car,  an  Es- 
sex, made  the  round  from 
San  Francisco  to  Williams, 
Williams  to  Ukiah  and  Ukiah 
to  San  Francisco. 

Fifty-one  miles  from  Will- 
iams is  the  last  summit, 
where  there  is  one  of  the 
grandest  vistas  in  California. 
Clear  Lake  is  below  you  with 
the  bare  bleak  mountain 
peaks  grouped  about  it  in  a 
gigantic  natural  frame.  As 
you  wind  down  the  hillside 
the  succeeding  views  of  this 
great  body  of  water  are  re- 
markably beautiful,  particu- 
larly if  you  reach  the  shore 
at  sundown  as  we  did.  The 
Western  sky  was  aflame  with 
red  and  gold.  The  Coast 
range  made  a  blue  line  that 
blended  into  gray  as  the  light 
faded.  Nearer  were  the  great 
heights  of  Lake  county  and 
on  the  surface  of  the  water 
the  rays  from  the  setting  sun 
were  reflected. 

The  rest  of  the  journey  to 
Ukiah  is  over  the  best  kind 
of  mountain  road.  The  trail 
winds  past  Blue  Lakes  and 
over  hill  and  dale  until  Ukiah 
itself  is  reached.  To  the  north  is  Snow 
mountain,  while  here  and  there  against  the 
sky  its  brother  peaks  shove  their  mottled 
heads  over  the  range  of  the  nearer  hills. 

There  is  paved  highway  again  at  Ukiah, 
but  it  does  not  reach  to  Hopland  and  there 
are  many  stretches  of  rough  going  on  the 
unpaved  ways.  The  paved  highway  is 
again  taken  up  at  Healdsburg  and  from 
there  on  it  is  easy  going  winter  or  summer. 


THE  RIVER  ROAD  TO  SACRAMENTO- 


-  AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


One  of  the  most  picturesque  of  California's  motor  drives  is  the  river  route  to  Sacramento.  Much  of  the  highway  on  the 
levee  overlooking  the  State's  Netherlands  country  is  paved  and  many  of  the  concrete  strips  have  only  been  opened  for  a  short 
time.  There  are  a  fevir  detours  over  bad  roads,  but  they  are  rapidly  being  taken  care  of  and  when  completed  this  will  be  one  of 
the  choicest  scenic  routes  in  the  State.  A  Cole  Aero  Eight,  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  went  over  the  river  highway  and  many 
delightful  vistas  were  encountered  on  the  trip. 


THE  river  road  to  Sa.cramento!  It's  a 
cool  and  shady  route,  the  levee  high- 
way following  the  windings  of  the  stream. 
It  cannot  rival  the  "short  route"  through 
Vacaville  and  Dixon  and  Davis,  yet,  for  it 
is  still  under  the  curse  of  many  a  detour. 
The  odometer  registers  around  130  miles 
from  San  Francisco  to  the  capital  via  Rio 
Vista  and  Isleton.  But  in  scenery  it  will 
rival  any  road  of  the  same  length  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

The  river  provides  an  endless  variety 
of  vistas  such  as  one  might  duplicate  only 
in  Belgium  or  the  Netherlands.  The  banks 
of  the  stream  are  lined  with  poplars  and  at 
times  the  smooth,  slow-flowing  surface 
delights  the  eye  with  its  reflection  of  boat 
and  tree.  Orchard  and  farm,  green 
of  alfalfa  fields,  pear  and  peach  and 
cherry  and  plum,  and  mansions  old  and 
new  of  magnificent  propdrtions  and  de- 
lightful in  architectural  regard.  Here  old 
Mother  Nature  is  the  landscape  gardener. 
Lawns  seem  to  stay  green  without  a  world 
of  care  and  hollyhock  and  columbine,  aster 
and  dahlia,  growing  in  profusion,  add  their 
riot  of  hues  to  weave  a  colorful  vista  of 
delight. 

The  route  taken  by  the  Cole  scout  car 
covered  roads  of  every  condition.  From 
Oakland  to  Fairfield-Suisun  there  is  an 
uninterrupted  stretch  of  paved  highway. 
Then  a  very  fair  piece  of  dirt  road  to  Rio 
Vista.  One  of  the  peculiar  things  about 
this  20-mile  stretch  is  that  the  center  oiled 


frr  /?iG  y/fr^ 


section,  which  has  passed  into  the  rut  stage 
of  development,  is  now  avoided  by  passing 
vehicles  and  two  "ditch"  roads,  manufac- 
tured solely  by  the  traffic  of  wagons  and 
automobiles,  are  the  roads  in  use.  The 
greatest  argument  against  the  oiled  road 
is  to  travel  over  it  after  it  has  passed  into 
the  discard. 

At  Rio  Vista  the  Sacramento  River  is 
reached  and  the  temperature  drops  accord- 
ingly. The  road  leads  across  a  great  bas- 
cule bridge  which  has  lately  been  com- 
pleted and  then  over  one  of  the  -detours 
that  God  forgot.  About  five  miles  or  so 
of  this  at  from  five  to  ten  miles  an  hour 
and  then  a  better  road  hove  in  sight.  The 
natives  of  Rio  Vista  said  that  in  about  six 
weeks  the  detour  will  be  a  thing  of  the 
past  and  the  highway  will  be  completed, 
barring  complications. 

The  town  of  Isleton  brings  us  into  the 
land  of  paved  highway  again  and  if  you 
are  wise  you  will  turn  across  the  river  at 
this  point  and  enjoy  a  somewhat  longer 
stretch  of  pavement.  As  it  was,  the  scout 
car  turned  to  the  right  and  found  itself  on 
oiled  road  of  the  bumpy  variety,  while 
across  the  stream  the  machines  were  sail- 
ing along  on  the  concrete.  There's  a  ferry 
about  every  mile  or  so  along  the  stream, 
free   ferries   operated   by   the   county,   and 

29 


many  beautiful  homes  are  passed  on  either 
side  of  the  river. 

The  Cole  car  was  well  equipped  with 
springs,  so  the  bumps  on  the  bumpy 
stretches  were  not  as  strenuous  in  their 
effect  as  they  might  have  been,  but  it  is 
not  hard  to  forget  the  rough  stretches  in 
contemplating  the  beautiful  areas  through 
which  the  scout  car  passed.  When  com- 
pleted this  levee  road  will  be  the  ideal  route 
to  Sacramento  for  those  who  enjoy  a  con- 
tinuous  river  vista  of  delight. 

The   river  road,  the  river  road,  the  levee 

road  for  me. 
Along     the     poplar     aisles     we     ride     in 

pleasant  company. 

Through  orchards  rare  of  peach  and  plum, 

In  hues  of  gold  and  virine. 
Where   thousands  made  their  weary   way 

In  days  of  Forty-nine. 

By  islands  rich  in  Nature's  store, 

We  cross  the  river's  span. 
Where   anglers  in  their   patient   quest 

The  lapping  waters  scan. 

The   river  road,   the  river  road. 

The  levee  road  for  me. 
Along   the    poplar    aisles   we    ride 

In  pleasant  company. 


THROUGH  THE  FORESTS  OF  MENDOCINO- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  an  Overland  "Mystery"  Four,  went  out  on  a  pathfinding  expedition  through  the  wild  timberland 
of  the  north  coast  and  brought  back  these  scenic  memories  of  the  journey.  At  the  right  is  a  scene  just  below  Mendocino  City, 
where  the  forests  are  bathed  in  the  ocean  spray.  The  lumber  scene  was  photographed  at  Albion.  The  lower  photograph  is  a 
common  sight  on  the  way  south,  where  forest  fires  have  wiped  out  the  gigantic  trees  and  left  the  charred  stumps,  many  of 
which  have  been   hauled  away. 


MENDOCINO,    land 
ests,      mountain       gorges 
precipitous    cliffs    and    beautifu 
streams,  has  gathered  within   its 
boundaries  all  of  the  scenic  beau- 
ties   of    which    the    earth    may 
boast.     Known  until  a  few  years 
ago  as  a  county   without  a  rai 
road,  inaccessible  except  by  pack 
train    or    toilsome    journeys    by 
foot,  it  numbered  its  visitors  only 
a    few    stray    hunters    and     the 
lumbermen   who   were   forced  to  make   the 
trip   for   business   purposes. 

Then  came  the  railroad  and  the  motor 
car  and  now  this  scenic  wonderland  is 
within  an  easy  day's  ride  of  the  bay  cities. 
"The  Examiner"  scou<  car,  a  new  Over- 
land Mystery  Four,  mapped  out  the  trip, 
found  the  roads,  even  through  the  tortuous 
canyons  of  the  Mendocino  hills,  easy  to 
conquer,  and  all  the  bumps  that  were  met 
with — and  there  were  several^were  ab- 
sorbed in  the  new  spring  suspension  with 
which  the  new  Overland  "Little  Four"  is 
equipped. 

The  trip  from  the  Marin  side  of  the  bay 
to  Willits  was  almost  all  highway  and  it 
is  not  until  you  leave  that  much-traveled 
road  and  start  for  the  coast  that  the 
real  panorama  of  scenery  begins.  Then 
within  a  few  short  miles  you  are  translated 
from  the  noise  of  civilization  to  the  shaded 
aisles  of  a  mighty  forest.  Age-old  oaks 
Hne  the  narrow  mountain  roads.  The  great 
tall  redwoods  like  colonnades  in  a  vast 
cathedral  seem  to  pierce  the  very  sky;  and, 
winding  through  these  strangely  silent  can- 
yons in  the  dusk  of  the  evening  the  net- 
work of  foilage  above  weaves  a  wondrous 


arabesque  against  the  black  vault  of  the 
heavens  sown   with   stars. 

Hazel  bushes  brush  the  car  on  either  side 
and  the  tall  bracken  towers  over  its  more 
delicate  kindred  fern  at  the  base  of  the  giant 
trees.  Every  leaf  gleams  with  dew  and  the 
autumn  shades  of  red  and  brown  make  the 
wild  growth  seem  more  like  a  painting  than 
a  natural  vista. 

On  the  floor  of  these  greal  chasm.s  that 
divide  the  centra!  portion  of  the  county 
from  the  coast  are  beautiful  streams  that 
tumble  over  great  boulders  as  they  babble 
on  toward  the  sea.  Here  is  a  paradise  for 
the  angler.  Here  is  the  undisturbed  hauni 
of  the  trout,  the  steelhead  and  the  black 
salmon.  Here  are  turtles  and  cravvlish,  too, 
and  there  are  "limits"  enough  in  tho:5e  Svorcs 
of  brooks  to  supply  the  State. 

The  sound  of  the  automobile  stirs  up  the 
natives  of  this  wilderness.  Now  and  then 
a  rabbit  scurries  on  ahead  of  the  machine. 
Quail  there  are  in  abundance  and  the  ap- 
proach of  the  automobile  disturbs  them  bjit 
little.  We  passed  a  score  of  deer  in  the 
fifty  odd  miles  from  Willits  and  theie  are 
many  trappers  in  that  district  who  make  a 
livelihood   in  bagging  bigger  game. 

ao 


Many  mineral  springs  are 
passed  on  the  trail  and  these 
used  to  be  most  enjoyable  picnic  spots 
when  the  trip  to  the  coast  by  stage  in- 
volved a  two-day  journey.  So  sharp  are 
many  of  the  turns  that  in  the  old  stage 
days  they  were  given  the  name  of  "Jack- 
rabbit  Turns,"  and  the  name  still  clings. 
All  kinds  of  wild  berries  are  found  in  the 
canyons.  There  are  huckleberries,  thimble- 
berries,  raspberries,  salmon  berries  and 
blackberries,  and  many  visit  this  region 
during  the  berry  season  to  provide  them- 
selves with  jellies  and  jams  for  the  year. 

Here,  indeed,  is  "the  forest  primeval, 
the  murmuring  "pines  and  the  hemlocks, 
bearded  with  moss  and  in  garments  green." 
Lone  cabins.  Indian  trails,  deer  paths  and 
many   fish-laden   streams   are   there. 

The  rugged  coast  line  gives  a  continuous 
panorama  of  beauty.  The  beating  surf  off 
Point  ."Xrena  has  hollowed  out  some 
gigantic  cliffs  and  formed  mighty  caverns 
in  which  to  play.  Arched  rocks  stand 
bleak  and  bare  just  off  the  jutting  head- 
land. The  forests  in  many  places  continue 
to  the  very  strand  and  the  trees  assume 
grotesque  shapes  with  the  buffeting  they 
have  received  from  the  stiff  breezes  off  the 
sea. 


WHERE  SIR  FRANCIS  DRAKE  ANCHORED- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Within  a  few  hours  of  San  Francisco  lies  one  of  the  most  remarkable  harbors  in  the  world,  the  chalk  cliff-bound  inlet  known 
as  "Drake's  Bay."  This  was  the  objective  of  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Columbia  Six.  Here  landed  the  English  admiral  more 
than  three  hundred  years  ago  and  assumed  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  The  photograph  at  the 
upper  left  shows  the  scout  car  on  the  wharf  in  Drake's  Bay,  a  fishing  boat  at  anchor  on  the  glassy  surface  of  the  harbor.  At  the 
right  is  the  great  dam  that  supplies  water  to  Marin  County.  This  structure,  one  of  the  great  engineering  feats  of  the  State,  is  one 
of  the  sights  on  the  road  to  the  bay.  The  center  picture  showns  one  of  the  typical  road  scenes  of  that  beautiful  country.  The  ancient 
map,  drawn  from  Drake's  report  of  his  discoveries,  is  shown,  as  well  as  one  more  modern.  The  inscription  on  the  map  reads 
"By  bodily  tortures  and  mutilations  of  their  limbs  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  of  New  Albion  showed  their  sorrow  at  the  de- 
parture of  Drake." 


"Captaine  Gen- 
eral' of  Free- 
booters, coni- 
mander  of 
the  "Gou!den 
Hinde,"  favor- 
ite of  Queen 
Eliza  beth  of 
England,  is  one 
of  those  sha- 
dowy figures  of 
the  early  his- 
tory of  the  Pa- 
cific Coast. 
H  i  s  fearless- 
ness in  battle, 
h  i  s  courage 
and  skill  in  the 
routing  of  the 
Spanish  arma- 
da, made  him 
the   idol   of   a 

England  and  he  still  is  a  great 
figure  in  the  chronicle  of  the 
heroes  of  the  sea. 

Drake  was  the  first  navigator 
to  go  around  the  world,  and  on 
that  famous  voyage  he  stepped  into  the 
history  of  the  Pacific  Coast  when  he 
skirted  the  coast  of  Oregon  and  anchored 
on  its  shores  and  later  took  possession  of 
California  in  the  name  of  England,  nam- 
ing it  New  Albion  after  the  mother  coun- 
try. 

For  a  long  time  it  was  thought  that  San 
Francisco  Bay  was  the  anchorage  of  the 
"Golden  Hinde"  when,  attempting  to 
avoid  the  stormy  northern  coast,  Drake 
found  a  harbor  refuge.  Historians,  how- 
ever, by  piecing  together  the  meager 
evidence  at  hand,  have  discovered  that  the 
anchorage  was  inside  the  arm  of  Point 
Reyes,  in  a  remarkable  cliff-guarded  inlet 
that  now  bears  the  name  of  "Drake's 
Bay." 

It  was  to  this  historic  spot  that  "The 
Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Columbia  Six, 
journeyed  for  a  Sunday's  jaunt  the  other 
day,  and  mapped  out  the  trip  for  the  bay 
city  motorists  who  enjoy  a  short  trip  that 
includes  not  only  scenery  that  is  unsur- 
passed, but  which  includes  one  of  those 
places  where  world  history  has  been  made. 

The  record  of  the  remarkable  voyage  of 
Sir    Francis    Drake,    published    in    1628,    is 


a  document  of  extraordinary  interest  with 
its  quaint  spelling  and  odd  grammatical 
turns.  The  expedition  was  made  up  so  says 
the  record,  "of  gentlemen  and  saylars" 
drawn  together  by  the  love  of  adventure 
and  plunder;  "a  sort  of  cogginge  and 
lyinge  knaves,"  "a  companye  of  desperate 
banckwrouptes  that  could  not  lyve  in  theyr 
countrye  without  the  spoyle  of  that  as 
others  had  gotten  by  the  swete  of  theyre 
browes." 

The  "hard  crowd"  needed  a  firm  hand 
to  direct  them  and  they  found  it  in  Drake, 
one  who  warned  them  "take  hede  for  yf 
I  fynd  them  in  my  way  I  will  surely  synke 
them."  "This  tyranous  and  cruell  tirant 
thought  it  not  good  to  returne  by  the 
streights  of  Magellan  least  the  Spaniards 
should  there  waite,  and  attend  for  them  in 
great  numbers  and  strength,  whose  hands, 
he  being  left  but  one  ship  (the  remainder 
being  wrecked  off  the  Farallones)  could 
not  possibly  escape. 

Drake  thereupon  decided  he  must  reach 
England  by  some  unknown  route  and 
thought  on  the  north  Pacific  Coast  he 
might  discover  the  mythical  straight  of 
Arrian  that  were  supposed  to  connect   the 


Atlantic  and  the  Pacific.  For  more 
than  two  months  he  sailed  the  un- 
known leagues  without  a  sight  of 
land.  He  encountered  the  strong 
northwest  wind  of  the  North 
Pacific  and  the  impenetrable  "most  uile, 
thicke,  and  stinking  fogges"  with  the  re- 
sult that  he  was  forced  to  seek  for  safe 
anchorage. 

Finally  he  fell  in  with  a  'convenient  and 
fit  harborough,  and  came  to  anchor  there- 
in." This  was  what  is  now  known  as 
"Drake's  Bay." 

It  is  no  wonder  that  Drake,  after  round- 
ing the  dangerous  Point  Reyes,  gave 
thanks  when  he  came  to  safe  anchorage 
in  the  harbor.  When  we  visited  the  place 
there  was  one  lonely  old  fisherman  on  the 
wharf  that  now  serves  as  a  landing  for 
fishing  boats.  Around  at  Point  Reyes 
there  was  a  spanking  forty  mile  breeze 
blowing.  In  Drake's  Bay  there  was  not 
a  breath  of  wind  and  the  waters  of  the 
bay  were  as  smooth  as  a  mill  pond.  The 
bay  does  not  seem  a  part  of  the  ocean;  it 
bears  far  more  resemblance  to  a  lake,  so 
calm  is  it.  The  cliffs  that  shut  off  the 
northern  blasts  form  a  perfect  semicircle 
of  towering  white,  falling  sheer  from  the 
bluff  to  the  beach. 

It  is  only  a  two-mile  jaunt  out  to  the 
lighthouse  at  Point  Reyes  where  the  con- 
trast of  wind  and  surf  can  be  noticed. 


31 


FORT  ROSS  AND  THE  RUSSIAN  RIVER. 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


One  of  the  most  delightful  week-end  trips  for  the  bay  city  motorist  is  pictured  below.  It  winds  through  the  beautiful 
wooded  slopes  of  the  Russian  River  country.  The  trail  was  "blazed"  by  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Standard  Eight.  One  of  the 
landmarks  of  the  Russian  settlement  in  California,  old  Fort  Ross,  was  made  the  objective  of  the  trip. 


pOR  beauty 
^  of  scenery, 
combining  the 
river,  the  for- 
est and  the 
sea,  there  is 
no  trip  in  the 
log  of  the  mo- 
torist that  sur- 
passes the 
week  -  end 
journey 
through  Caza- 
dero  to  the 
coast  and  the 
return  by  way 
of  Jenner  by 
the  Sea  and 
Monte  Rio.  It 
is  a  trip  that 
might  easily 
be  made  in  a 
single  day,  but 
for  the  motor- 
ist who  enjoys 
the  scenery 
and  wishes  to 
take  in  a  little 
more  of  the 
glories  that 
Nature  has 
prepared  for 
him,  it  makes 
an  ideal  two- 
day  week  end 
excursion. 

"The  Exam- 
iner "  scout 
car,  a  Stand- 
ard      Eight, 

found  the  roads  in  excellent  condition, 
with  mile  after  mile  of  good  country  road 
where  the  mjotor  may  sing  a  merry  song  of 
speed. 

Fort  Ross  is  a  quaint  old  place.  With 
its  Greek  chapel  which  is  now  about  a  cen- 
tury old  and  the  ancient  barracks  where 
the  Russian  soldiers  were  quartered,  it  has 
about  it  many  features  that  allure  those 
who  are  interested  in  the  history  of  Cali- 
fornia and  the  romantic  days  of  her  early 
settlement. 

It  was  in  1812  that  the  first  expedition 
of  Russians  settled  in  the  eastern  portion 
of  Sonoma  county  and  established  a  trad- 
ing post  and  fort  on  the  coast.  For  thirty 
years  they  maintained  their  hold  on  the 
wooded  lands  that  border  the  river,  em- 
ploying Indians  to  handle  their  farms  and 
peacefully  carry  on  their  business  of 
handling  the  supplies  for  their  Alaskan 
lands. 

Fear  of  a  Russian  occupation  caused  the 
followers  of  Junipefo  Serra  no  little  un- 
easiness and  the  missions  of  San  Rafael  and 


Off  T/f£  J9a/iD  7t? 


Sonoma  were  founded  to  act  as  a  "bufler 
district"  against  the  inroads  of  the  Rus- 
sians. In  1842  the  Russian  occupation  of 
California's  coast  ended  and  they  went  as 
peacefully  as  they  came.  Only  the  bar- 
racks and  the  old  church  are  left  to  tell  the 
story  of  "the  city  that  was." 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  vacation  sites 
in  all  California  is  at  Jenner  by  the  Sea, 
where  the  Russian  river  empties  into  the 
Pacific.  The  river  here  has  thrown  up  a 
great  bar  of  sand  that  makes  the  mouth' 
into  a  wonderful  lake  in  the  center  of 
which  is  an  island  that  is  now  under  culti- 
vation. 

Then  the  route  winds  in  from  the  coast 
over  a  road  of  a  thousand  turns  where 
brakes  are  a  most  useful  accessory  and  a 
tuneful  horn  is  a  necessary  added  equip- 
ment. The  road  is  narrow,  but  with  care- 
ful driving  there  is  no  danger. 

Here  is  what  a  historian  of  the  early 
days  says  of  the  aims  of  the  Russians  in 
their  settlement  of  California: 

"Russia's   first   intention   was   to   obtain 


from  California  the  cereals 
necessary  for  her  people 
further  north,  and  incident- 
ally to  still  further  prosecute 
the  fur  trade;  but  on  ac- 
count of  complaints  from  the 
Commandante  of  San  Fran- 
cisco the  attempt  at  agricul- 
ture was  abandoned.  On  the 
mountain  side,  however,  back 
of  Fort  Ross,  an  orchard  of 
400  trees  and  a  vineyard  of 
700  stocks  were  successfully 
planted.  Officially,  the  Span- 
iards were  always  jealous  of 
the  Russians,  and  between 
1816  and  1818  the  expulsion 
of  the  latter  was  much  dis- 
cussed; but  as  the  trade  with 
the  Russians  increased  year- 
ly and  benefited  the  country, 
opposition  took  no  active 
form,  and  the  Muscovites 
sheltered  ships  of  the  Russian- 
American  Company  every  winter.  Better 
customers  than  the  Russians  the  Pacific 
Coast  never  had.  They  paid  promptly  for 
all  purchases  made,  and  gave  to  the  Span- 
ish Government  one-half  of  the  skins 
taken  in  hunting.  Often  as  many  as  80,000 
seal  skins  were  collected  at  the  Faral- 
lones  in   a  single  season. 

"When  hunting  and  trade  ceased  to  be 
profitable  Russia  had  no  further  use  for 
her  California  colony,  and  on  July  27,  1841, 
Kostromitinofl  sat  in  the  house  of  Gen- 
eral Vallejo  at  Sonoma  endeavoring  to 
negotiate  terms  of  evacuation.  The 
Spanish  took  too  high  ground  for  the 
Russian.  Vallejo  insisted  that  inasmuch  as 
the  houses  at  Ross  had  been  built  of  Mexi- 
can timber  and  stood  on  Mexican  soil, 
they  therefore  rightly  belonged  to  Mexico. 
The  Russian  refused  to  entertain  such  a 
rornantic  idea  and  straightway  sold  the 
entire  property  to  Capt.  John  A.  Sutter 
for  $31,000.  On  January  1,  1842,  after  a 
sojourn  of  twenty-eight  years,  the  Rus- 
sians returned  to  Alaska.' 


38 


THE  BERKELEY  HILLS  AND  U.  C.  CAMPUS- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


A  choice  one-day  excursion  for  the  bay  city  motorist  is  over  the  Berkeley  Hills  and  around  the  campus  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  California.  On  a  clear  day  a  remarkable  vista  of  the  bay  and  the  Golden  Gate  Is  to  be  had  and  a  panorama  of  all 
the  bay  cities  is  one  of  the  features  of  the  trip.  The  roads  are  all  paved  and  the  grades  are  easy.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car, 
a  Lincoln,  visited  the  college  campus  and  routed  an  excursion  through  the   Berkeley  skyline. 


l^HEELEK  HnZJU 


'T'HE  Berkeley  Hills  have 
^  inspired  all  the  Califor- 
nia poets  who  have  visited 
the  bay  cities!  Edward  Row- 
land Still,  Ina  Coolbrith, 
Keeler,  Markham,  Joaquin 
Miller  and  Cheney  and  a  host 
of  others  who  have  been  the 
leaders  in  the  development  of 
wTiat  might  be  termed  Cali- 
fornia literature  have  noted 
their  charm,  have  admired 
the  panorama  they  disclose 
and  have  sung  of  those  slop- 
ing heights  as  the  Romance 
bards  have  rhymed  the 
praises  of  Fiesole  and  the 
meadows  of  honeyed  Hybla. 
When  the  winter  rains 
come  tumbling  down  and  the 
unpaved  paths  are  treacher- 
ous and  mud  besmeared  the 
excursion  over  the  Berkeley 
Hills  is  an  ideal  day's  jaunt. 
"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a 
Lincoln,  routed  the  trip 
and  found  enough  scenery 
to  provide  for  a  score  of 
trips  and  enough  roads  of  the 
paved  variety  to  motor 
around  for  a  month. 

H  you  wish  to  prepare 
yourself  for  the  ramble  about 
the  Berkeley  Hills  read  Ed- 
ward Pollock's  "How  the 
Clouds  Came  in  Through  the 
Golden  Gate"  and  Clarence 
Urmy's  "  When  I  Came 
Down  Mt.  Tamalpais,"  for 
nowhere  about  the  bay  do 
you  get  such  a  remarkable 
outlook  on  these  two  natural 
phenomena  of  the  peninsular 
region. 

The  University  of  Califor- 
nia campus  alone  provides 
many  a  path  where  the  amateur  photogra- 
pher can  catch  some  prized  pictures  for  tbe 
home  album.  There  are  the  often  snapped 
Le  Conte  oaks  and  Eucalyptus  Lane;  there 
is  the  Campanile  and  the  new  array  of 
architectural  achievements  which  house  a 
most  rapidly  growing  university.  There 
are,  too,  the  old  time  structures  with  their 
ancient  walls  wreatlied  in  garlands  of  ivy. 
There  is  the  picturesque  Faculty  Glade 
and  Strawberry  Creek,  the  botanical  gar- 
dens, and  the  famous  Greek  Theater. 


If  you  enter  by  the  Sather  Gate  and  fol- 
low the  winding  paths  that  circle  the  Cam- 
panile a  continual  succession  of  pleasant 
scenery  awaits  you.  Leave  the  campus  by 
Euclid  avenue  at  north  gate  and  follow  the 
Euclid  car  line  out  and  up  to  the  top  of  the 
Berkeley  Hills. 

Pause  at  the  summit.  To  the  right  are 
Richmond  and  Albany  and  at  your  feet  the 
city  of  Berkeley.  At  the  left  of  the  picture 
is  Oakland  with  its  City  Hall  standing  out 
against      the      buildings      and      bay.        A 


glimpse  of  Alameda  may  be  seen 
and  across  the  bay  the  Ferry  tower 
looms  against  the  white  background 
of  San  Francisco,  Goat  Island,  Alcatraz, 
Mt.  Tamalpais  with  Tiburon  island  and  the 
cities  that  dot  the  northern  peninsular 
shore  stand  out  in  white  and  gray  and 
brown  with  the  darker  blue  of  the  Pacific 
visible  through  tlie  narrow  cliffs  that  guard 
the  Golden  Gate.  Sunset  at  this  time  of 
the  year  with  the  cloud  mottled  skies  is  a 
wonderful  sight. 


33 


THE  FEATHER  RIVER  COUNTRY- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


For  variety  of  scenery,  from  the  snow-capped  Sierras  to  the  beautiful  trout  streams  of  the  valleys,  the  Feather  River 
country  is  unsurpassed.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  King  Eight,  made  the  trip  and  mapped  out  the  way  for  bay  city  mo- 
torists.    The   map   shows   the   two    routes   open   to    automobile   traffic. 


PEATHER  KIVLR— It  ib 
■^  a  name  that  conjures  up 
a  wonderland  oi  scenic 
beauty,  a  land  of  snow-clad 
peaks  that  look  down  on 
valleys  of  enchantment, 
threaded  by  crystal  streams 
that  delight  the  heart  of  the 
angler,  mountains  through 
whose  forest  aisles  the  motor 
car  winds  its  way  up  hill  and 
down  dale  with  the  cool 
breezes  singing  a  happy  tune 
through  the  towering  pines. 

There  is  a  kaleidoscopic 
succession  of  greens  and 
browns  and  blues  and  the 
purring  of  the  motor  stirs 
the  forest  into  life.  Land- 
scapes are  there  innumerable 
that  would  charm  the  soul  of 
1  Claude  Lorraine  and  inspire 
the  pen  of  a  Wordsworth  or 
a  Keats.  There  lies  the  .land 
of  fancy,  "a  joy  forever," 
where  the  call  of  the  great 
out-of-doors  is  a  trumpet 
blast  that  all  the  world 
should   hear. 

Up  in  this  region  near  the 
clouds,  the  distorted  vision  of 
the  lower  levels  vanishes  and 
the  traveler  looks  on  life 
with  a  new  concept.  From 
the  higher  vantage  points  of 
this  Feather  River  land  the 
ancient  volcanic  cap  of  Las- 
sen can  be  glimpsed  and  a 
great  panorama  of  the 
mighty  Sierras,  long  since 
burned  out  and  brought  under  the 
dominion  of  ice  and  snow.  Here  aeons 
ago  Nature,  with  its  great  glaciers,  sculp- 
tured the  rugged  ranges  and  carved  out 
the  awful  gorges  through  which  the 
melting  snow  now  pours  in  its  mad  rush 
to  the  sea. 

"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  King 
Eight,  made  the  round  trip  and  found  the 
roads  in  passable  shape.  The  road  from 
Marysville,  via  Honcut,  Camptonville, 
Downieville,  Sierra  City  and  Sierraville, 
had  just  been  opened  and  was  somewhat 
rough,  but  it  is  in  very  good  shape 
by  the  middle  of  June.     The  route  by  way 


of  Truckee  was  snow-bound,  but  was  to  be 
open  within  a  short  time. 

Just  outside  of  Sacramento  is  the  mu- 
nicipal picnic  grounds  and  Trafific  Officer 
Rvan  will  flag  you  down  to  a  discreet 
fifteen  miles  an  hour  to  enable  you  to 
gather  more  than  a  fleeting  glimpse  of  the 
Del  Paso  Park.  A  picnic  ground,  a  deer 
park  and  a  golf  course  are  located   there 

Then,  on  to  Marysville  and  we  reach 
the  edge  of  the  Feather  River  country. 
The  rolling  hills  grow  steeper  and  the 
trail  grows  narrower  while  the  air  takes 
on  the  chill  of  the  snow  bedecked  heights 
beyond.      The    moving    picture    of    an    in- 

34 


finite  number  of  reels  flashes  by.  At  one 
point  we  were  held  up  by  a  band  of  sheep 
that  galloped  down  the  highway  on  their 
way  to  market.  At  another  a  herd  of 
cattle  greeted  us  with  a  chorus  of  mooing. 
The  only  trace  of  the  civilization  of  the 
city  that  remained  was  a  puffing  locomo- 
tive hauling  a  long  train  of  seventy-four 
cars  up  the  steep  grade  to  the   surpmit. 

The  Feather  river  with  its  North  Fork, 
Middle  Fork,  East  Branch  of  the  North 
Fork  and  Spring  Garden  and  Spanish 
creeks,  covers  almost  the  whole  of  Plumas 
county  and  is  well  stocked  with  trout.  It 
is   a   Paradise   for   the   angler. 

Feather  River  Inn.  which  was  made  the 
headquarters  of  "The  Examiner"  party, 
was  reached  by  supper  time  and  the  sup- 
per was  a  fitting  climax  to  the  day's  ride. 

The  inn  proper  is  a  rambling  log  struc- 
ture with  wide  porches  and  huge  dining 
room  (with  seating  capacity  for  200  peo- 
ple), kitchen,  office,  foyer,  club  room,  and 
a      small      number      of      sleeping     rooms. 


THE  LAKE  OF  THE  SKY  AND  THE  HIGH  SIERR^— AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


No  motorist's  log  book  is  complete  without  a  visit  to  ths  world-famous  Lake  Tahoe  and  the  rugged  country  over  which 
the  first  emigrant  trains  made  their  way  in  the  days  of  the  gold  rush.  Every  mile  of  the  excursion  is  over  historic  ground. 
"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Cole,  mapped  out  the  jaunt.  The  run  to  the  lake  by  the  Placerville  route  may  easily  be  made  in 
eight   hours  from   the    bay   cities.     Thousands   of   campers    line   the  banks  of  the  American    River. 


START  out  at  aboui  ;)  o'  the 
morning,  proceecl  at  an  easy 
pace  through  the  famous  town 
of  Pinole,  drive  on  to  the 
Ferry  at  the  town  of  Crockett, 
then  through  Vallcjo,  Cor- 
delia, Vacaville  to  Sacramento. 
There  regale  yourself  o!i  a 
sandwich  or  two  with  a  less 
than  one-half  of  1  per  cent 
concoction  of  malt  and  other 
things.  That  //lU  be  the  pre- 
lude to  the  grand  marcli.  The 
march  itself  proceeds  oi;t  M 
street,  Sacramento,  to  the 
town  of  Folsom,  of  prison 
fame,  and  though  the  highway 
looks  inviting  straight  ahead, 
turn  right  on  the  paved  road 
that  mounts  the  hill  and  you 
are  off  on  the  way  to  Placer- 
ville and  Lake  Tahoe. 

It's  an  easy  six-hour  drive 
from  the  State  capital  to  the 
shore  of  the  lake.  The  paved 
highway  ends  a  short  distance 
outside  of  Placerville,  but  the 
dirt  road  has  been  scraped  and 
shaved  and  powdered  until  it's 
even  a  bit  better  than  the  cement  high- 
way. 

What  a  change  is  there  from  the  days 
of  the  gold  rush. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  tourists' 
travel  in  that  section  broke  all  records, 
there  was  ample  room  for  the  rest  of  the 
world  if  it  had  decided  to  come. 

The  din  and  disorder  of  the  fifties  have 
passed.  The  purring  of  the  motor  car  has 
replaced  the  tinkling  of  the  bells  on  the 
mule  teams  and  gleaming  in  the  sunlight. 
Mt.  Tallac  enrobed  in  a  solid  coat  of  white, 
the  other  peaks  with  scattered  patches  of 


brown  and  green,  where  the  snows  have 
melted  and  the  tall  pines  are  revealed  in 
their  spring  garb.  The  wonderful  shades 
of  forest  and  lake  and  sky  the  camera  can- 
not catch,  no  artist  can  paint.  It  is  a  con- 
tinual vision  of  joy  to  the  eyes  alone. 

I  am  the  mirror  of  cloud  and  star, 
The  Lake  of  the  Azure  Sky. 
I  pillow  my  face 
In  the  wind's  embrace 
As  I  list  to  the  eagle's  cry. 

My  shores  are  girt  with  the  pine-clad  hills, 
35 


My  rule  is  the  realm  of  snow, 
And  the  storms  may  beat 
O'er  my  sovereign  seat. 
But  I  hide  in  the  depths  below. 

My  waters  the   tears  of  the  winter  sky, 

My  waves  are  of  earth  born  free, 

And  my  passion  thrills. 

In  a  thousand  rills 

That  leap  in  their  rush  to  the  sea. 

I  felt  the  rise  of  the  towering  peaks 

In  the  dawn  of  a  mighty  earth. 

And  the  thunderous  blast 

As  the  tempests  passed 

In  the  throes  of  a  mountain's  birth. 

I  saw  the  toil  of  a  host  of  men. 

The  joy  and  the  grief  and  the  cold, 

I  counted  the  cost 

And  the  thousands  lost 

Who  died  in  their  Quest  for  gold. 

I  am  the  mirror  of  cloud  and  star. 

The  spirit  of  earth  and  air. 

Of  the  Peace  that  lies 

In  the  tranquil  skies, 

Afar  from  the  bourn  of  Care. 


THE  CALAVERAS  GROVE  OF  BIG  TREES- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Mitchell,  mapped  out  the  trip  to  the  Calaveras  Grove  for  the  benefit  of  bay  city  motorists. 
It  is  an  easy  week-end  journey,  with  good  highways  all  the  way,  and  one  of  the  most  wonderful  and  awe-inspiring  sights  in 
the  world  is  at  the  end  of  the  quest.  Some  of  the  scenes  that  were  snapped  on  the  journey  and  a  sketch  of  the  ways  of  "going" 
and  "coming"  are  shown  below. 


TF  trees  could  felk  what  an 
•^interesting  history  some 
Df  them  would  have  to  tell! 
The  oldest  of  living  things, 
these  mighty  monarchs  of 
the  California  forests.  Their 
lives  began  before  the  day  of 
calendars  and  some  of  them 
have  witnessed  many  of  the 
birth  throes  of  this  great 
Pacific  coast. 

It  is  with  a  feeling  of  awe 
that  one  traverses  the  twi- 
light aisles  of  the  redwoods, 
and  the  span  of  a  man's  life 
pales  to  insignificance  in 
comparison  with  the  hoary 
age  of  the  mammoth  groves. 

The  "Examiner"  scout  car, 
a  new  Mitchell,  journeyed  to 
the  Calaveras  country  last 
week  and  brought  back 
photographic  souvenirs  of 
the  trip  and  the  latest  road 
reports  from  the  hill  coun- 
tries. The  highways  are  in 
excellent  shape,  with  pave- 
ment most  of  the  way,  and 
the  journey  threads  through  a  great  deal 
of  the  famous  land  of  the  southern  mines, 
the  golden  land  of  '49.  Through  cities 
once  great,  now  dead  or  sleeping,  past 
iron-shuttered  buildings  that  once  were 
alive  with  the  enthusiasm  of  those  in 
quest  of  the  riches  of  the  Sierras. 

It  is  a  land  made  famous  in  literature 
by  the  stories  of  Bret  Harte  and  Mark 
Twain.  Bayord  Taylor  visited  this  quaint 
region  of  the  earth  and  immortalized  it  in 
his  views  afoot.  And  it  has  provided  many 
a  fertile  theme  for  short  story  and  novel 
and  moving  picture  scenario  of  the  modern 
day.  Douglas  Fairbanks  and  his  troupe 
photographed  many  of  the  scenes  of  one 
of  his  best  productions  in  the  Calaveras 
Grove,  and  Griffith  set  many  of  the 
scenes  of  his  scenarios  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tuttletown  and  Sonora. 

The  pavement  extends  now  almost  to 
Knights  Ferry,  and  the  road  from  there 
through  Sonora  and  Angels  is  in  excellent 
shape.      Returning,    the    motorist     has     a 


choice  of  a  half-dozen  routes,  one  o%the 
most  pleasant  being  through  the  old  towns 
of  Jackson  and  lone  and  on  to  Sacra- 
mento. 

The  Calaveras  Grove  is  situated  in  a 
small  valley  near  the  headwaters  of  the 
San  Antonio  at  an  elevation  of  4,702  feet. 
There  are  good  accommodations  to  be 
had  at  the  gate  of  the  Big  Trees,  where  a 
hotel  was  erected  in  the  early  days.  The 
grove  is  privately  owned. 

The  Grove  contains  ten  trees,  each  30 
feet  in  diameter,  and  over  70  that  are  be- 
tween 15  and  30  feet.  Hittell,  in  his  "Re- 
sources of  California,"  says:  "One  of  the 
trees,  which  are  down,  "The  Father  of  the 
Forest,"  must  have  been  450  feet  high 
and  40  feet  in  diameter."  In  1853,  one  of 
the  largest  trees,  92  feet  in  circumference 
and  over  300  feet  high,  was  cut  down. 
Five  men  worked  25  days  in  felling  it,  using 
large  augers.  The  stump  of  this  tree  has 
been  smoothed  off  and  now  accommodates 
32  dancers.     Theatrical  performances  have 


been  held  upon 
it,  and  in  1858  a 
newspaper,  "The 
Big  Tree  Bulle- 
tin," was  print- 
ed there. 
Near  the  stump 
ies  a  section  of 
the  trunk;  this  is 
25  feet  in  diam- 
eter and  20  feet 
long;  beyond  lies 
the  immense 
trunk  as  it  fell, 
measuring  302 
feet  from  the 
base  to  its  ex- 
tremity. Upon 
this  was  situated 
a  bar-room  and  tenpin  alley,  stretching 
ilong  its  upper  surface  for  a  distance  of 
31  feet,  affording  ample  space  for  two 
alley-beds  side  by  side. 

The  first  of  the  trees  that  attract  the 
eye  as  one  enters  the  grove  are  the  two 
Sentinels,  one  of  which  fell  in  the  great 
windstorm  of  the  fall  of  1919. 

South  of  the  "Sentinels"  and  to  the 
right  of  the  road  as  you  approach  them, 
on  the. hillside,  stands  a  tree  over  14  feet 
in  diameter,  which  has  been  named  "Old 
Dowd,"  in  honor  of  the  discoverer  of  the 
Grove,  which  discovery  was  made  in  1852. 
The  South  Grove  extends  3yi  miles  and 
contains  1,380  large  trees.  Any  tree  there 
under  18  feet  in  circumference  is  not  con- 
sidered  a   large  tree. 

It  is  a  wonderful  week-end  excursion, 
this  jaunt  to  the  Big  Trees,  but  it  is  also 
one  that  the  longer  one  stays  the  longer 
one  wants  to  stay.  In  the  midst  of  these 
hoary  sentinels  of  Time  a  Keats  might 
have   found  inspiration    for  a   "Hyperion." 


36 


IN  THE  LAND  OF  MISTLETOE  AND  REDBERRIES— AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  town  of  Winters,  in  Solano  County,  there's  enough  mistletoe  to  supply  all  California  for 
many  a  year  to  come.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Grant,  made  the  expedition  and  found  mistletoe  and  redberries  galore  as  a 
reward  of  the  trip.     And  they   raise  turkeys  up   in  that   region  big  enough  for  the  biggest  family,  all   healthy   looking   birds,  too. 


PUTAH  CREEK  CAN- 
YON, between  Winters 
and  Vacaville,  in  Solano 
county,  is  one  of  the  leading 
haunts  of  the  mistletoe  and 
redberry  in  California.  There 
is  enough  of  the  popular 
Christmas  decoration  to  sup- 
ply the  State  and  all  the  East 
in  that  one  little  canyon.    As 

the     mistletoe     destroys     the     ^ 

trees  on  which  it  grows,  the 
more  of  it  that  is  carried  away  the  better 
for  the  trees.  In  a  scout  trip  to  locate  the 
lair  of  the  mistletoe,  "The  Examiner"  car, 
1.  Grant,  set  out  and  found  the  object  of 
its  search  growing  in  the  greatest  pro- 
fusion. 

There  is  highway  to  Vacaville,  paved 
highway,  and  during  the  summer  season 
there  is  a  fair  road  between  Vacaville  and 
Winters,  but  during  the  winter  a  half 
dozen  pairs  of  chains  are  handy  things  to 
have  along.  Between  Winters  and  Dixon 
there  is  a  passable  road  along  the  creek, 
but  the  other  road,  in  the  rainy  season,  is 
about  as   passable   for   a   machine   as   the 


the  high  peaks  of  the  Sierra  in  midwinter. 

If  you  take  the  "inside  route"  to  Dixon 
from  Winters  in  the  rainy  season,  take 
along  several  tractors  and  a  few  shovels 
to  excavate  the  car  when  it  sinks  down 
over  the  top  of  the  hood.  Farmers  we 
met  along  the  road  declared  their  pleas 
for  a  few  coatings  of  gravel  on  these  "near 
roads"  have  long  been  in  vain.  There  is 
plenty  of  gravel  in  the  bed  of  Putah  creek, 
only  a  short  distance  away,  but  Solano 
county  doesn't  seem  able  to  afford  the 
transportation. 

They  have  some  wonderful  turkeys  up 
in  that  portion  of  the  State,  too.    Gobblers 

87 


of  a  size  that  would  frighten 
1  full  grown  porker  are  in 
almost  every  farm  yard  you 
pass  and  the  Solano  county 
residents  should  not  do  much 
worrjmg  about  the  high 
price  of  the  Christmas  bird 
with  that  flock  displaying  its 
charms  for  the  passers-by. 
Outside  of  the  mistletoe, 
the  redberries  and  the 
Christmas  fowl  the  scenery 
around  Putah  creek  and 
through  Pleasant  valley  that 
lies  between  Vacaville  and 
Winters  is  well  worth  the 
trip.  If  Solano  county  rea- 
lizes its  opportunity  in  the 
way  of  good  roads  development  it  will 
open  up  a  country  that  is  one  of  the  prize 
sections   of  the  State. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  there's 
very  little  to  complain  of  in  Solano  county 
roads  and  soon  the  winter  highway  will 
be  better  taken  care  of.  The  trip  to  Win- 
ters then  may  be  made  either  in  rain  or 
shine  and  chains  may  be  left  at  home. 
One  of  the  prettiest  sights  in  California 
is  the  Vaca  and  Winters  valley  in  the 
springtime  of  the  year  when  the  cherry 
trees  are  covered  with  blossoms.  There  is 
many  a  vantage  point  from  which  great 
stretches  of  orchard  land  may  be  seen. 


SACRAMENTO  VALLEY  AND  MT.  LASSEN- 


AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


The  old  swimmin'  hole  is  a  popular  resort  In  the  days  of  summer,  particularly  in  the  warm  confines  of  the  Sacramento 
Valley.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  an  Oldsmobile  Eight,  toured  through  the  Sacramento  Valley  visiting  Chico  and  its  famous 
Bidwell  Park  and  skirting  the  Government  Reservation  of  Lassen  National  Park.  The  old  volcano  was  not  performing,  how- 
ever, so  the  photographer  dug  up  a  scene  taken  during  the  last  activity.  The  famous  Hooker  Oak,  which  covers  an  acre  of 
ground — the   largest  tree  of  its   kind — is   located   in   Chico's   municipal  camping  grounds. 


r/in 


?ORTY-THREE  miles  east 
of  Red  Bluff,  10,577  feet 
above  sea  level,  stands  the 
northern  sentinel  of  the  Sac- 
ramento Valley,  Mt.  Lassen. 
When,  on  May  30,  1914,  it 
burst  into  eruption,  throwing 
volumes  of  smoke  thousands 
of  feet  in  the  air,  it  was  her- 
alded as  a  new  wonder  in  Cali- 
fornia, the  only  active  volcano 
in   the  United   States. 

The  Sierra  region  was  long 
regarded  as  a  range  of  dead 
peaks  that  once  had  blazed 
with  all  the  artillery  of  earth. 
Beds  of  lava  appeal  to  the 
sight-seer  in  pursuit  of  vistas 
that   awe   and   inspire. 

The  mountain  was  named  after  Peter 
Las.sen,  a  pioneer  settler,  and  has  four 
peaks,  the  eruption  taking  place  on  the 
northeast  slope  of  the  principal  rise  a 
short  distance  from  the  summit.  The 
whole  of  the  lower  part  of  the  mountain 
is  covered  with  strange  phenomena.  Steam 
pours  forth  from  fissures  in  the  rocks. 
Boiling  mud  and  mineral  lakes  are  to  be 
found    throughout   the   reservation. 

"The  Examiner"  scout  car  explored  this 
strange  region  of  weird  beauty  last  week, 
visiting  en  route  the  famous  Bidwell  park 
of  Chico,  with  its  Hooker  Oak,  the  largest 
in  the  world,  and  the  Government  experi- 
mental gardens.  The  return  trip  was  made 
via   Colusa   and   the  rice  fields. 

Bidwell  Park  contains  many  an  "old 
swimmin'  hole"  where  youth  and  age  seek 
relief  from  the  heat.  Several  hundred 
swimmers  were  enjoying  a  dip  at  the  dam, 
but  here  and  there  throughout  the  park 
there  was  a  "private"  beach  where  indi- 
vidual motor  parties  were  enjoying  them- 
selves.    Two  recalcitrant  maids  refused  to 


pose  for  their  pic- 
tures, but  the  cam- 
era caught  them  ,is 
the  scout  car  sped 
past. 

The  Hooker  Oak 
covers  an  entire 
acre,  and  it  is  said 
that  ten  thousand 
persons  may  stand 
beneath  its  shade 
without  overcrowd- 
ing.        Old      King 

Alfred  was  enjoying  himself  in  Merrie 
England  when  this  big  oak  was  starting 
in  business  over  on  this  continent.  The 
tree  was  named  from  a  famous  English 
botanist. 

The  return  trip  by  way  of  Colusa  in- 
cludes about  forty  miles  of  dirt  road,  about 
thirty-five  of  which  is  in  excellent  condi- 
tion. The  entire  trip  by  way  of  Sacra- 
mento is  over  concrete  highway  with  per- 
haps a  few  hundred  yards  of  unpaved 
strips.     The  Oldsmobile  that  was  used  on 

38      • 


the  scout  ex- 
pedition kept 
up  a  steady 
pace,  never 
halting  for  any 
kind  of  road  or 
mechanical  dif- 
ficulty, and  left 
m  indelible  im- 
pression of  de- 
pendability. 

The     Lassen 
excursion    is    a 
possible      two- 
day     trip,     but 
three    days,  or 
2ven  more,  will 
enable  the  voy- 
ageurs  to  take  the  foot  trails  that  lead   to 
the  interesting  scenes  of  the  national  park 
itself. 

The  Mt.  Lassen  trip  is  not  an  excursion 
to  be  made  during  the  rainy  season  as 
the  State  Highway  Commission  has  yet 
to  put  in  the  concrete  road  to  the  objec- 
tive point  of  the  tour.  Many  of  the  roads 
are  narrow  and  after  a  heavy  rain  the 
surface  is  not  too  solid  for  comfort.  But 
in  the  late  spring  and  the  summertime  the 
resorts  are  open  and  the  roads  are  good. 


'  -^  -rT^.  ZA5SE-JV   -— 


IN  THE  VALLEY  OF  YOSEMITE- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Velie,  visited  the  Yosemite  Valley  and  here  are  some  scenes  that  are  prominent  attractions  to 
all    valley    visitors.     The    map    shows   two    roads    most    popular   to    motorists  going    in   and    out  of  this   scenic    wonderland. 


'T'O  the  Eastern  tourist  the 
*  best  known  scenic  trip  of- 
fered by  California  is  the 
Yosemite  Valley.  Its  chasms 
and  domes,  its  waterfalls  and 
beautiful  streams  have,  on 
postcard  and  advertising  liter- 
ature of  the  Pacific  Coast,  be- 
come widely  known  through- 
out the  world.  It  is  a  trip 
which  cannot  be  fittingly  de- 
scribed. The  sublimity  of  this 
great  canyon  is  such  that  ad- 
jectives cannot  bring  to  the 
mind  of  the  reader  the  tre- 
mendous prospect  which  lies 
in  that  masterpiece  of  nature. 
John  Muir,  who  did  more 
than  any  other  individual  to 
make  the  world  realize  what 
grandeur  there  was  in  the 
Sierras,  writes  of  the  Yosem- 
ite as  follows: 

"The  far-famed  Yosemite 
Valley  lies  well  back  on  the 
western  slope  of  the  Sierra, 
about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  to  the  eastward  of  San 
Francisco.  It  is  about  seven 
miles  long,  from  half  a  mile  to 
a  mile  wide,  and  nearly  a  mile 
deep,  carved  in  the  solid  granite  flank  ot 
the  range.  Its  majestic  walls  are  sculp- 
tured into  a  bewildering  variety  of  forms 
— domes  and  gables,  towers  and  battle- 
ments, and  sheer  massive  cliffs,  separated 
by  grooves  and  furrows  and  deep,  shad- 
owy canyons,  and  adorned  with  evergreen 
trees.  The  bottom  is  level  and  park-like, 
finely  diversified  with  meadows  and 
groves,  and  bright,  sunny  gardens;  the 
River  of  Mercy,  clear  as  crystal,  sweeping 
in  tranquil  beauty  through  the  midst, 
while  the   whole   valley   resounds   with   the 


music  of  its  unrivaled  waterfalls. 

"It  is  a  place  compactly  filled  with  wild 
mountain  beauty  and  grandeur — floods  of 
sunshine,  floods  of  snowy  water,  beauti- 
ful trees  of  many  species,  thickets  of  flow- 
ering shrubs,  beds  of  flowers  of  every 
color,  from  the  blue  and  white  violets  on 
the  meadows  to  the  crimson  pillars  of 
the  snow-flowers  glowing  among  the 
brown  needles  beneath  the  firs.  Ferns  and 
mosses  find  grateful  homes  in  a  thousand 
moist  nooks  among  the  rocks,  humming- 
birds  are    seen    glinting   about   among    the 


showy  flowers,  small  singers  enliven  the 
underbrush,  and  wide-winged  hawks  and 
eagles  float  in  the  calm  depths  between 
the  mighty  walls;  squirrels  in  the  trees, 
bears  in  the  canyons;  all  find  peaceful 
homes,  beautiful  life  of  every  form,  things 
frail  and  fleeting  and  types  of  enduring 
strength  meeting  and  blending,  as  if  into 
this  grand  mountain  mansion  Nature  had 
gathered  her  choicest  treasures,  whether 
great  or  small. 

"The    Yosemite    Valley    was    discovered 
in  the  spring  of  1851    by  Captain  Boling." 


39 


TIOGA  PASS,  ROAD  OF  A  THOUSAND  WONDERS— AN  ^EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


One  of  the  grandest  spectacles  in  America  is  the  succession  of  vistas  on  the  world-famous  Tioga  Pass  road  that  lies 
between  the  region  of  Lake  Tahoe  and  the  Yosemite  National  Park.  Over  this  mountain  route  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a 
Cleveland,  made  its  way  and  mapped  out  the  excursion  for  motorists  of  the  bay  cities.  A  Chandler  car  accompanied  the  path- 
finders  in  their  scenery-seeking   excursion. 


HIGHER  than  the  world- 
famous  passes  of  Switzer- 
land, which  have  stood  so  long 
IS  symbols  of  grandeur  and 
beauty,  expressing  in  their  pre- 
cipitous cliffs  and  thundering 
waterfalls  the  sublimity  of  Na- 
ture, the  Sierras  offer  to  the  mo- 
torist one  of  the  most  attractive 
excursions  in  the  log.  Alpen- 
stock and  picturesque  Swiss 
•nountaineers  might  appeal  to 
!he  more  romantic  as  less  out  of 
place  in  such  a  setting  than  a 
■nodern  motor  car,  but  neverthe- 
less the  automobile  has  brought 
ihese  marvels  of  nature  nearer  to 
the  gates  of  the  city  and  made 
them  accessible  to  all. 

It  was  with  the  idea  of  map- 
ping out  the  Tioga  Pass  trip,  per- 
haps of  all  California  motor- 
logues  the  most  scenic,  that  an 
"Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Cleve- 
land, traveled  around  the  circuit 
the  other  day  and  snapped  as  much  of 
the  beauty  of  that  far-famed  region  as 
the   photographic    plate    would    allow. 

The  start  was  made  late  in  the  after- 
noon and  the  first  night  was  spent  in 
Sacramento.  Woodfords  was  reached  by 
the  second  evening  and  Tioga  Lodge  on 
Mono  Lake  was  the  third  day's  stand. 
Carl  Inn  made  up  the  fourth  day  of  the 
trip  and  the  fifth  day  found  the  wander- 
ers home  again.  The  trip  might  be  made 
in  faster  time,  but  it  would  be  more  pleas- 
urable at  a  slower  pace.  A  "scout"  trip  is 
not  always  a  pleasant  jaunt. 

But  this  excursion,  although  the  time 
was  short  and  the  time  for  drinking  in 
scenery  comparatively  momentary,  was 
one  replete  with  pleasure,  and  those  who 
were  fortunate  enough  to  make  the  trip 
voiced  a  unanimous  resolve  to  make  it 
again  at  the  next  opportunity. 

At  the  foot  of  Meyers  grade  the  party 
was  met  by  Grant  P.  Merrill,  resident  en- 
gineer of  the  California  Highway  Com- 
mission, and  escorted  to  Woodfords. 


Next  morning 
Merrill,  again  as 
escort,  conducted 
the  tourists  over 
a  short-cut  which 
eliminated  M  i  n- 
den  and  Gardner- 
ville,  Nev.,  and 
which  took  them 
by  a  more  direct 
route  to  Hol- 
brook. 

At  Tioga  Lodge  the  party  was  the  guest 
of  W.  W.  Cunningham.  Cunningham, 
who  is  well  known  throughout  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country,  has  taken  over  the 
old  Hammond  place  fronting  on  Hono 
Lake,  given  the  place  the  name  of  Tioga 
Lake,  as  it  is  practically  the  eastern  gate- 
way to  Tioga  Pass,  and  is  making  it  an 
attractive  place  of  rest  and  relaxation. 

"The  glaciers  were  the  pass-makers  of 
the    Sierras,"   writes   John   Muir,   "and   by 

40 


them  the  ways  of  the  moun- 
taineers have  been  determined. 
The  short  geological  time  be- 
fore the  coming  on  of  that 
winter  of  winters  called  'The 
Glacier  Period,'  a  vast  deluge 
of  molten  rocks  poured  from 
many  a  chasm  and  crater  on 
the  flanks  and  summit  of  the 
range,  obliterating  every  dis- 
tinction of  peak  and  pass 
throughout  its  northern  por- 
tions, filling  the  lake  basins, 
flooding  ridge  and  valley  alike 
and  effacing  nearly  every  fea- 
ture of  the  pre-glacial  landscapes. 

"Then,  after  these  all-destroying  floods 
ceased  to  flow,  but  while  the  great  volcanic 
cones  built  up  along  the  axis  of  the  range 
still  burned  and  smoked,  the  whole  Sierra 
passed  under  the  domain  of  ice  and  snow. 
Over  the  bald,  featureless,  fire-blackened 
mountains  glaciers  crawled,  covering 
them  all  from  summit  to  base  with  a  man- 
tle of  ice;  and  thus  with  infinite  delibera- 
ion  the  work  was  begun." 


MT.  SHASTA  AND  THE  CALIFORNIA  ALPS- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


One  of  the  most  wonderful  winter  panoramas  in  California  is  the  region  about  the  foot  of  Mt.  Shasta,  where  are  the 
headwaters  of  the  Sacramento  River.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Studebaker  Light  Six  Sedan,  made  the  trip  and  went 
through  rain-storm  and  blizzard  and  over  the  snow-trail  without  the  slightest  difficulty.  It  was  an  excursion  the  more  re- 
markable because  of  the  contrasts  of  climate  through   which  the  car  progressed. 


Jffourrr 


O  NOW    has    a   wonderful   at- 

^     traction  in  the  Yuletide.     It 

has  the  greater  attraction  for  the 

Californiaii  perhaps  than  for  the 

Easterner,  who  has  a  surfeit  o 

it.     But  the   California  motorist 

who  has  never  piloted  his  motor 

car  off   'he  paved  highway  into 

the    Land    of    Winter,    who    has 

never  visited  our  California  Alps 

and   watched   the    curtain    of   cloud    raised 

and    lowered   over   the    sublime    panorama 

of  the  mighty  Sierras,  has  missed  much  of 

the  enjoyment  which  might  easily  be  his 

in  a  day's  journey. 

Here  is  a  prescription  for  the  holiday 
season,  more  stimulating  than  liquids  un 
mentionable,  more  health-biinging  and  in 
spiring  than  the  world  of  Spring.  If  you 
have  it  filled  while  the  heights  are  wearing 
their  mantle  of  white  and  the  tang  of  the 
winter  is  in  the  air  you  will  have  added 
a  chapter  to  the  Book  of  Memory  that 
will  be  interesting  reading  for  a  long  time 
to  come. 

An  uninterrupted  gray  line  of  pavement 
from  Oakland  to  Crockett,  from  Vallejo  to 
Sacramento,  from  Sacramento,  Chico  and 
thirteen  miles  beyond;  a  seventy-mile  dash 
of  gravel  with  five  miles  of  heavy  going, 
and  a  seven-mile  run  over  the  snow  paths 
and  the  quaint  old  town  of  Sisson  is 
reached.  Here  is  the  heart  of  the  snow 
land.     Return    by    way    of    Proberta    and 


Williams   and   join   the   main    route   again 
near  Davis. 

All  the  legends  of  Manitou,  the  Great 
White  Spirit,  came  back  to  us  as  we 
watched  the  weird  behavior  of  Shasta  in 
the  midst  of  the  storm.  The  whole  peak 
was  suddenly  revealed  and  as  suddenly 
vanished,  leaving  only  a  shadowy  outline 
of  jagged  rock  looming  up  in  the  sky.  The 
whole  landscape  was  a  dazzling  white  and 


every  tree  was  decked  in  its  holiday  array. 
On  the  branches  the  snow  hung  like  cot- 
ton. It  seemed  as  if  all  the  Christmas 
trees  in  the  world  had  been  gathered  to 
greet  us.  We  passed  several  houses  that 
looked  like  typical  Christmas  cards  with 
icicles  hanging  from  the  eaves.  It  was  the 
portal  of  the  land  of  Kris  Kringle  and  we 
even  had  the  accompaniment  of  sleigh 
bells  from  a  passing  sleigh. 


41 


IN  THE  LAND  OF  "THE  CITIES  THAT  WERE"- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Mitchell  "Six,"  sped  away  to  the  romantic  mining  district  of  the  Sierra  country  and  visited 
many  of  those  ancient  towns  where  once  the  spirit  of  the  days  of  '49  held  sway.  Columbia,  Douglas  Flat,  Springfield,  and  Knight's 
Ferry,  all  famous  cities  of  early  California,  still  cling  to  the  memories  of  their  golden  era. 


WITHIN  a  few  hours'  ruk  of 
the  bay  cities  Irs  the  land 
Df  "The  Cities  That  Were  "  The 
hills  still  wear  their  autumn  garb 
ol  red  and  gray  and  brown 
Over  their  rolling  heights  lin 
gers  a  purple  haze,  through 
which  the  Sierras  raise  their 
snow-capped  peaks  against  the 
background  of  a  deep  azure-tint- 
ed sky.  It  is  a  land  of  enchant- 
ment. It  is  a  Parrish  concep- 
tion of  a  scene  from  the  Arab- 
ian Nights,  blended  into  a  har- 
mony of  pastel  that  only  Nature 
herself  has  the  power  to  wield. 

Not  a  living  thing  on  the  land- 
scape as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 
It  has  yielded  up  its  great  store 
of    treasure    and    the    whitened 
boulders  that  cover  the  valleys  and   hills 
tell    the    end    of    the    golden    quest.     Now, 
in  its  poverty,  it  is  desolate  and  forgotten, 
and  the  camps  which  once  were  alive  with 
miners    are    deserted    and    the    adobe    and 
brick-walled   dwellings   of   the   olden   time 
are   fast  falling  into   decay. 

Six'  hours  of  easy  driving  brought  "The 
Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Mitchell  Six,  into 
this  historic  and  romantic  country.  We 
left  at  noon  Saturday,  arriving  in  Sonora 
at  6  o'clock  and  remaining  there  for  the 
night.  In  the  early  morning  we  pressed 
on  for  that  district  of  Tuolumne  County, 
where  are  the  deserted  cities  of  the  mining, 
days.  Within  a  few  miles  of  each  other. 
Knights  Ferry,  Douglas  Flat,  Springfield 
md  Columbia  offer  to  the  motorist  one  of 
the  most  pleasant  prospects  of  scenery  and 
romance  that  the  State   can  supply. 

At  Knights  Ferry  still  stands  the  old 
covered  bridge  that  succeeded  the  days 
of  the  ferry  boat.  An  ancient  uninhabited 
frame  structure  guards  the  entrance  to  the 
bridge  which  marks  the  border  line  be- 
tween California  of  the  present  and  the 
California  of  the  earlier  time.  As  you 
pass  through  the  ancient  structure  you 
enter  the  Portals  of  the  Past.  The  busy 
hum  of  the  coast  and  valley  cities  fades, 
the  cycle  of  time  has  been  turned  back- 
ward and  only  the  sound  of  the  motor  car 
reminds  you  that  you  are  in  the  land  of 
romance  but  not  of  it. 

The  first  objective  after  leaving  Sonora, 
which  is  in  itself  a  quaint  old  city,  is  the 
town  of  Springfield.  It  derived  its  name 
from  the  subterranean  channels  which 
supplied  water  to  the  mines  of  that  region, 
and  as  it  is  in  the  limestone  belt  there  are 
many    of    these    remarkable    fissures. 


Onlj  OPL  of  the  old 
Duudings  ot  this 
ance  famous  min- 
ing village  remains. 
This  was  once  a 
church.  Later  it 
was  converted  into  »»»««<»"  " 

a     school     house. 

Now  it   is   only   a   land   mark   of   the    City 
That  Was. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  of  all  the 
Southern  mining  towns  is  Columbia,  the 
city  that  in  its  heyday  of  glory  aspired  to 
be  the  capital  of  California.  In  fact,  a  pe- 
tition was  prepared  to  this  end  and  thous- 
ands of  names  were  secured.  But  the  pe- 
tition was  reserved  for  a  far  different  use 
from   the    one    for    which   it    was   planned. 

A  man  was  slain.  The  slayer  was  tried, 
convicted  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged. 
His  friends  decided  that  the  only  way  of 
saving  his  life  was  to  present  a  petition  to 
the  Governor  and  plea  for  his  pardon. 
But  where  were  the  signatures  to  be  se- 
cured? The  sentiment  in  Columbia  itself 
was  not  all  in  favor  of  the  condemned 
man,  so  a  desperate  remedy  was  decided 
on.  The  safe  in  which  the  petition  for  the 
State  capital  rested  was  blown  open  and 
the  document  stolen.  All  the  signatures 
were  removed  and  appended  to  the  plea  for 
pardon.  But  the  scheme  did  not  work  out 
successfully.  The  fraud  was  detected, 
the  petition  ignored  and  the  murderer  was 
hanged. 

Gold  was  first  discovered  in  Columbia 
in  March  of  1850,  and  within  a  year  it 
boasted  a  population  of  6,000.  One  hun- 
dred and  forty-three  faro  banks  were  in 
operation  here  at  one  time  with  a  gambling 


capital  of  a  million  and  a  half  dol- 
1  irs  Immigrants  pourtd  in  from 
.lonora,  Janustown  Jackson  and 
other  mining  camps,  lured  by  the 
stories  of  rich  finds  and  an  easy 
road  to  riches.  A  certain  Cap- 
tain Avent  was  one  of  the  first 
prospectors  in  this  district  and 
he  was  lucky  enough  to  take  out 
two  and  a  half  poui'ds  of  gold 
a  day,  with  a  pound  a  day  for 
an  average  on  the  days  following. 
Then  came  Charles  Bassett,  a 
storekeeper  from  Sonora.  He 
started  a  restaurant,  butcher 
shop  and  dairy  in  connection 
with  his  supply  depot  and 
peddled  milk  through  the  camp, 
finding  ready  sale  at  a  dollar  for 
each  whisky  bottle  full. 

Those  who  are  worrying  over 
the  high  cost  of  living  and  its 
constant  rise  toward  some  un- 
known infinity  might  do  well  to 
ponder  over  the  following  price 
list  on  which  Storekeeper  Bassett  de- 
pended: 

Flour,  18  cents  a  pound. 
Pork,  50  cents  a  pound. 
Lard,  75  cents  a  pound. 
Rice,  20   cents   a  pound. 
Sugar,   40  cents  a   pound. 
But  the  following  commodities  seem  to 
have   been    plentiful: 
Brandy,   per  gallon,  $2. 
Gin,  per  case,  $10. 
Whisky,  per  gallon,  $2. 
Claret,  per  box,  $10. 

The  administration  of  justice  in  this  olc' 
town  was  by  means  of  the  alcalde,  and  us- 
ually the  alcalde  did  not  worry  about  the 
e.xact    reading    of    the    code. 

A  stolen  pick  was  found  in  the  room 
of  a  storekeeper.  The  court  ordered  the 
defendant  to  pay  a  fine  of  one  ounce  and 
the  court  costs  of  three  ounces.  Another 
case  was  in  regard  to  the  recovery  of  a 
mule.  The  man  accused  of  the  theft  of 
the  mule  was  ordered  to  return  the  ani- 
mal to  its  owner  and  to  pay  a  fine  of  one 
ounce  and  three  ounces  costs.  But  the 
accused  man  did  not  have  the  gold  to  pro- 
vide for  the  fine,  so  the  court  ordered  the 
complainant,  who  was  known  to  be  in 
good  circumstances,  to  pay  the  fine  and 
costs,  as  the  court  could  not  be  expected 
to  sit  without  remuneration. 


42 


FRANK  NORRIS  IN  CALIFORNIA- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


There  are  four  points  in  California  which  played  an  important  part  in  the  life  of  Frank  Norris,  the  novelist.  In  the 
mountains  back  of  Gilroy  was  his  cabin  and  there  stands  the  monument  erected  by  Mrs.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  to  his 
memory.  In  San  Francisco  was  the  office  of  McTeague,  and  at  the  Big  Dipper  mine  near  Colfax  Norris  laid  the  setting  for  some 
of  the  scenes  of  his  novels.  The  land  of  "The  Octopus"  radiates  from  Tulare.  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Chandler,  visited 
these  scenes  of  Norris'  life  and   novels. 


UNIVER- 
SALLY 
acclaimed  as  the 
greatest    Ameri- 
can     writer     of 
his      generation, 
Frank    Norris. 
graduate     of 
the    University    of    California, 
found  an  inspiration  for  many 
Df  the  scenes  of  his  stories  in 
the  State  of  his  adoption.     In 
San     Francisco     he     laid     the 
opening     scenes     of     "Mc- 
Teague"; "The   Octopus"  cen- 
tered about  Tulare;   the   latter 
portion    of    "McTeague"    deals 
with   the    Big   D'.pper   mine    it 
Iowa    Hill,    near    tho    town    of 
Colfax,     where     Frank     Norris 
himself  went  in  tlie  summer  of 
1897;  and  Norris  spent  a  short 
period   of   his   life    in    the    hills 
back     of     Gilroy,     where     his 
cabin    still    stands    and    where 
Mrs.   Robert    Louis   Stevenson 
erected    a    monument    to    his 
memory. 

The  Norris  vogue  was  at  its 
height  on  the  publication  of 
the  second  of  the  great  trilogy  of  novels 
which  he  had  planned.  The  first  was  "The 
Octopus,"  published  in  April  li»01;  the 
second  "The  Pit,"  which  ran  as  a  serial  in 
the  "Saturday  Evening  Post"  and  was 
published  in  book  form  in  January  of 
1903;  and  the  third,  which  was  to  deal  with 
the  distribution  of  the  wheat  to  famine- 
stricken  Europe. 

The  original  plan  was  that  Frank  Nor- 
ris should  be  an  artist  and  it  was  with  that 
intent    that    at    the    age    of    seventeen    he 


^'M^MS 


went  to  Paris  and 
enrolled  at  the 
Atelier  Julien. 
Here  it  was  that  he 
became  interested 
in  F  r  o  i  s  s  a  r  t's 
C  h  ro  n  i  c  1  e  s  and 
medievalism,  and 
his  sketches  of  chivalric  subjects  were 
woven  about  some  of  his  earlier  trials  of 
an  artistic  nature. 

Charles  G.  Norris,  brother  of  the  writer, 
tells  of  Frank's  delight  in  the  land  of 
make-believe,  and  "The  Pit"  contains  the 
dedication  "In  memory  of  certain  lament- 
able tales  of  the  round  table  heroes;  of  the 
epic  of  the  pewter  platoons,  and  the  ro- 
mance cycle  of  "Gaston  le  Foix,"  which  we 
invented." 
Norris  came  to  California  at  the  age  of 


nineteen  and  en- 
tered    the     Uni- 
versity   of    Cali- 
fornia.    His  first 
literary       effort 
for      which      he 
received  a  small 
c  o  m  p  e  nsation 
was    for    a    San 
Francisco       pa- 
per.     It   was   in 
Scott's       heroic 
style     and     was 
e  n  t  i  t  le  d  "An- 
cient    Armour." 
{t  contained  illustrations 
from  his  own  pen,  but  these 
did    not    measure    up    to    the 
poem. 

He  fell  under  the  spell  of 
the  great  French  realist, 
Zola;  Kipling,  Richard  Hard- 
ing Davis  and  William  Dean 
Howells.  A  number  of  his 
earlier  stories  appeared  in 
campus  publications  and  in 
the  San  Francisco  periodicals. 
Before  he  completed  his 
course  at  the  University  he 
began  "McTeague,"  which 
had  its  inspiration  in  San  Francisco,  and 
a  visit  to  a  friend  who  was  managing  the 
Big  Dipper  Mine  at  Colfax  resulted  in  its 
introduction  into  the  story.  McTeague's 
"Dental  Parlors"  on  Polk  street  and  the 
coffee  shop  where  he  ate  (disappeared  in 
the   fire  of  1906. 

The  country  of  "The  Octopus"  lies 
within  a  score  of  miles  about  Hanford  and 
Tulare.  Here  Annixter  and  Magnus  Der- 
rick and  their  fellow  farmers  battled  with 
the   railroad. 

Norris  spent  the  last  few  months  of  his 
life  in  San  Francisco,  after  a  strenuous 
time  as  a  war  correspondent  in  the  Santi- 
ago campaign.  He  enjoyed  a  brief  stay  in 
his  cabin  on  the  hills  above  Gilroy  and 
planned  a  novel  -which  many  critics  pre- 
dicted, would  have  been  the  great  Ameri- 
can novel. 


43 


THE  GEYSERS  AND  THE  LAND  OF  SILVERADO AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


It  is  like  visiting  a  moving  picture  setting  of  Dante's  Inferno  to  tread  the  boiling  valley  of  the  geysers,  those  natural  won- 
ders that  have  made  Calistoga  and  the  nearby  country  famous.  Combined  with  this  Is  the  pleasure  of  looking  over  the  scenes  of 
the  honeymoon  of  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  and  the  country  that  inspired  the  "Silverado  Squatters."  Here  is  the  trip  as  mapped 
out  by  "The   Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Grant  Six. 


'X*  HERE  were  three  mousqueteers  in 
*•  the  party,  at  least  that's  what  they 
clubbed  themselves,  and  we'll  let  it  go 
at  that.  One  of  them  was  a  wild,  wild 
driver — he  was  the  pilot  at  the  helm  of  the 
scout  car,  a  Grant  Si.x — and  the  other 
two  were  out  to  see  that  the  publicity  end 
of  the  story  was  well  taken  care  of. 

In  the  conference  that  preceded  the 
selection  of  the  trip  Lake  county  loomed 
large  and  so  it  was  decided  to  route  the 
excursion  that  way.  Alack,  the  day!  Old 
friend  weather  came  along  and  spoiled  the 
party,  at  least  the  riding  part  of  it.  As  for 
the  scenery  and  the  trip,  it  was  well  worth 
while  and  when  the  sun  goes  on  regular 
duty  again  the  scout  car  will  make  another 
plunge  that  way. 

It  is  not  a  distinct  and  lasting  pleasure 
to  skid  crosswise  on  a  road  two  thousand 
feet  up.  It  is  not  the  most  enjoyable  thing 
in  the  world  to  ford  three  or  four  score 
streams  that  splash  over  the  hubs.  It  is 
not  conducive  to  happiness  on  the  part  of 
the  photographer  to  aim  his  snap-shooter 
while  dodging  the  little  drops  of  water  as 
he  wades  through  ankle-deep  stretches  of 
little  grains  of  sand.  We  say  it  is  not. 
But  we  did  it  and  the  car  did  it  along  with 
the  three  mousqueteers. 

But  withal  the  unpleasant  portions  of 
the  excursion  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
enjoyment.  There  was  the  Saturday  night 
stay  at  Redwood  Lodge,  something  to  be 
long  remembered.  The  big  log  fire  and 
the  surroundings  like  a  bit  of  old  England 
transplanted  entire.  And  the  supper — 
more  of  old  England  and  one  member  of 
the  party  carried  out  the  idea  still  more 
by  demanding  his  cup  of  black  tea  and 
treacle.  Shades  of  Sir  Roger  de  Coverley 
and  mine  host  of  the  Mermaid  Tavern! 

And  then  when  we  had  passed  through 
Calistoga  and  Pluton  valley,  that  devil's 
caldron  that  bubbles  and  growls  and 
steams  as  if  it  were  the  very  gate  of  a 
Dantesque  Hell,  we  arrived  in  the  honey- 
moon land  of  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  the 
scene  of  the  Silverado  Squatters  and  the 
same  old  fog  was  rolling  in  as  the  evening 
came  and  the  spirit  of  the  master  seemed 
presiding  over  this,  a  place  hallowed 
through  the  sweetest  of  memories  to  him 
and  to  his. 

Mount  St.  Helena  was  a  volcano  not  so 
very  many  centuries  ag<5  and  has  stored  a 
remarkable  curio  land  about  the  base.  A 
petrified  forest  is  there  and  mountains  of 


volcanic  rock  and  geysers. 

And  with  its  array  of  the  curious  things 
of  nature  there  is  a  treasure  chest  that  is 
still  yielding  its  ore.  Chrome,  copper,  iron, 
lead,  silver,  gold  and  cinnabar  are  mined 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  mountain  and  the 
forests    that    fringe    the    peak   are   rapidly 

44 


giving  way  to  the  advancing  plough.  Ter- 
race after  terrace  on  the  lower  hills  give  an 
agricultural  horizon  around  the  valley  that 
resembles  the  hills  of  Provence  and  the 
slopes  of  Southern  Italy. 

And  the  blossoms!  The  pink  of  the 
peach  and  the  white  of  the  cherry,  apricot, 
peach,  almond,  fig  and  grape.  From  the 
towering  height  of  St.  Helena  the  valley 
is  a  variegated  checkerboard  of  color,  the 
almond  and  cherry  blossoms  alternating 
with  the  rich  red  hue  of  the  freshly 
plowed  soil. 

Between  showers  we  absorbed  the  land- 
scape and  a  rainbow  appeared  over  the 
rugged  tops  of  the  hills. 

The  western  slopes  of  Mt.  St.  Helena 
were  spotted  with  snow  and  a  cold  raw 
blast  swept  up  through  the  canyons. 
Dinner  time  found  us  at  Kelseyville. 
From  Kelseyville  the  road  follows  a 
wooded  creek,  winding  in  and  out  of  deep 
and  rocky  gorges.  At  one  point  a  gigantic 
mass  of  rock  rises  perpendicularly  from 
the  highway  a  thousand  feet  into  the  air. 
The  creek  itself  possesses  much  of  the 
appearance  of  the  Merced  as  it  glides 
through  the  Yosemite  over  great  boulders 
and  into  narrow  chasms  with  marine  vege- 
tation and  green  and  brown  pebbles  lend- 
ing a  peculiar  mottled  colored  effect. 

There  are  two  roads  leading  from  Kel- 
seyville to  the  highway.  One  passes 
through  Hopland  and  the  second,  the  river 
road,  cuts  the  main  coast  road  at  Clover- 
dale.  Once  on  the  highway  it  is  easy  sail- 
ing again  and  the  road  worries  are  over 
be  it  rain  or  shine. 

If  you  follow  the  trail  of  the  scout  car 
in  the  winter  season,  take  along  chains 
and  you  will  have  no  trouble.  As  for 
the  scenery,  there  is  none  more 
varied  in  California  and  there  is  much  that 
is  interesting  outside  of  the  wider  expanse 
of  the  landscape. 

In  the  springtime  or  the  early  summer 
this  is  a  jaunt  for  the  lover  of  Stevenson 
as  well  as  the  motorist  who  enjoys  a 
medicinal  tonic  provided  by  Nature  at  her 
best.  Take  along  a  copy  of  the  Silverado 
Squatters  and  spend  a  day  or  two  in  grow- 
ing acquainted  with  the  peculiarities  of 
the  climate  and  country  which  'he  de- 
scribes. There  is  no  better  way  of  acquir- 
ing a  real  insight  into  the  work  of  this 
master  of  English  literature  than  in  visit- 
ing the  scenes  which  inspired  him. 


ON  THE  TRAIL  OF  ROBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON— AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Where  mingled  history  and  ronnance  spread  an  alluring  glamor  on  the  town  of  Monterey  and  its  rugged  coast,  there  are 
many  memories  of  the  author  of  "Kidnaped"  and  "Treasure  Island."  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Jordan,  mapped  out  the 
journey  for  the  motorists  of  the  bay  cities  and  photographed  many  of  the  points  of  interest  that  "R.  L.  S."  loved  and  which  sup- 
plied  him  with   many  an   inspiration.     It  is  an  ideal  week-end  jaunt  with   paved   highway  over  the  entire  trip. 


ByvggiSiSilfl«aa«888S3'g8MffWfraiWft}vr»fla^^  ' 


Drake  and 
the  era  of 
disco  very 
C  a  1  ifornia 
has  been  the 
favored 
theme  of 
many  a  poet 
and  author. 
It  was  the 
land  of  ro- 
m  a  n  c  e,  an 
unknown 
country 
of  virgin 
forests,  of 
mighty  riv- 
ers, of  lofty 
peaks.  It 
figures  as 

the  "Eldorado"  of  the  ancient  raconteurs; 
it  appears  as  "The  Land  of  Gold"  even  ni 
the  days  of  the  Elizabethans  and  after  the 
adventurous  days  of  '49  Bret  Harte,  Mark 
Twain,  Edward  Rowland  Sill,  Ina  Cool- 
brith.  Jack  London,  Frank  Norris  and 
countless  more  found  on  this  Pacific  slope 
an  inspiration  that  has  enriched  the  world 
of  literature. 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson  spent  less  than 
a  year  in  California.  Yet  so  strong  was 
its  appeal  that  it  has  been  glorified  in  the 
best  of  his  work.  He  began  "The 
Amateur  Emigrant"  at  Monterey.  "The 
Pavilion  on  the  Links"  was  written  there, 
as  was  his  essay  on  Thoreau  and  in  the 
rugged  landscape  of  weird,  cypress-bound 
coast  and  thundering  surf  are  found  the 
scenes  of  "Treasure  Island." 

Stevenson  came  to  California  before  his 
reputation  in  the  field  of  letters  was 
established.  At  the  age  of  29,  in  the  early 
part  of  August,  1879,  he  sailed  from  Edin- 
burgh, by  steerage,  for  America.  His  trip 
over  the  desert  wastes  is  described  in 
"Across  the  Plains,"  and  in  his  letters  to 
his  friends  he  recalls  the  delight  he  ex- 
perienced at  emerging  from  the  barren 
country  into  the  forests  of  the  Sierras,  the 
great  redwoods  and  the  towering,  age-old 
pines,  and  the  ribbon-like  rivers  of  the 
mountain  country. 

Then  as  he  reached  San  Francisco  Bay 
the  city  was  bathed  in  the  white  sea  fog 
of  tlie  early  morning.  That  vision  of  the 
Golden  Gate  made  a  vivid  impression  on 
his  memory  and  nine  years  later,  in  "The 
Wrecker,"  he  recreates  the  scene  as  it 
impressed  him  on  his  first  visit  to  the 
Pacific  Coast. 


Stevenson  went  on  to  Monterey  to  see 
Mrs.  Osbourne,  his  wife-to-be,  and  spent 
three  weeks  in  the  Santa  Lucia  Mountains, 
recuperating  from  the  illness  he  contracted 
on  the  hard  trip  from  Scotland.  On  his 
return  to  Monterey  he  resided  in  a  large 
adobe  house  since  named  "The  Stevenson 
home,"  and  there  began  "The  Amateur 
Emigrant." 

Stevenson  loved  the  rocky  coast  of 
Monterey,  "its  pines  and  sand  and  distant 
hills,  and  the  bay  all  filled  with  real  water 
from  the  Pacific." 

He  delighted  in  the  never-ceasing  roar 
of  the  surf  as  it  thundered  against  the 
rocky  shore;  he  revelled  in  the  forest  aisles 
with  the  deep  shade  of  the  gigantic  red- 
woods and  the  fragrant  pines;  he  found 
a  solace  in  the  varied  sweep  of  the  sand 
dunes  and  health  in  the  bracing  breeze 
with  its  tang  of  the  sea.  There,  too,  he 
found  comrades  from  every  clime  with 
whom  to  muse  on  subjects  varying  from 
the  philosophy  of  life  to  the  preparation 
of  a  pleasant  patee:  Jules  Simoneau, 
restaurant  keeper  and  devoted  friend; 
Francis,    the    baker;    Augustin    Dutra,    an 

45 


Italian  fisherman;  and  now 
and  then  a  transient  visitor 
who  brought  in  a  new  vision 
of  California,  the  cosmopoli- 
tan. 

The  Monterey  portrayed  by 
Dana  in  his  "Two  Years  Be- 
fore the  Mast"  was  the  capital 
city  of  California,  the  most 
important  city  of  the  coast;  the 
Monterey  of  Stevenson  was  a 
sleepy  village  that  remembered 
the  days  of  its  glory  only  as  a 
dream.  Yet  it  had  a  fascina- 
tion for  one  of  the  romantic 
temperament  of  Stevenson  and 
he  explored  every  highway 
and  byway  in  quest  of  its 
wealth  of  the  picturesque. 

It  does  not  require  much  effort  of  the 
imagination  to  recreate  in  the  tangled 
wild  through  which  threads  the  famous 
"Seventeen-Mile  Drive"  the  atmosphere  of 
"Treasure  Island."  There  is  the  very  cove 
on  which  the  treasure  seekers  landed; 
there  the  long  stretches  of  sand  dunes  over 
which  they  toiled;  and  far  up  the  beach 
are  the  thickets  in  which  Jim  Hawkins 
concealed  himself  as  he  listened  to  the 
pirate  conference. 

Stevenson  was  entranced  by  the  sound 
of  the  waves;  "They  set  his  senses  on 
edge;  he  strained  his  attention;  he  walked, 
listened  like  an  Indian  hunter;  and  that 
voice  of  the  Pacific  was  a  sort  of  disquiet- 
ing company  to  him  in  his  walk."  The 
weird  shapes  of  the  wind-torn  trees  stim- 
ulated his  imagination.  "No  word  can 
give  an  idea  of  the  contortions  of  their 
growth;  they  might  figure  without  change 
in  a  circle  of  the  nether  hell  as  Dante 
pictured   it." 

The    trip    to    this    land    of    "Treasure 
Island"  is  an  ideal  week-end  jaunt  for  the . 
bay  city  motorist. 


MOTORING  THROUGH  SONOMA  AND  JACK  LONDON'S  'VALLEY  OF  THE  MOON' 


"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a   Nash  Sedan,  journeyed  through  the  romantic  and  historic  Sonoma  Valley,  visiting  the  Sonoma 
Mission  and  the  famous  Glen  Ellen  ranch   of  the  California  author.     The  trip   is  easily   made   in  a  da;        ~ 


....««.«..  «..«   ...w . w.    w«.  — .  ...^  »»^..w,.      ,  ..^   V.  .f^   ,o  isao.i^    ...awe   .11  a  w«y.     The    Mission,  founded    in 

1823,    is   shown    in   the   picture   at   the    right,   and   above    is   the    Presidi^that   housed   the    Bear   Flag   "Conspiratoi 


room  of  this  old  structure  was  made  the   Bear   Flag   and   here   lodged   the 

played  such  a  prominent  part  in  early  California   history.     Below     is  Jack   London 

the   ranch. 


—    — „.    .  .„a      w..^f^..  awjrs."     In   the  front 

rs   of    General    Fremont,    "The    Pathfinder,"   who 
""   '      lutiful    Mirror   Lake  that  supplies  water  to 


'T'HE  Valley  of  the 
■*•  That  little  hollow 
county  of  Sonoma,  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sonoma  hills,  has  been  ha 
lowed  with  the  spirit  of  romance, 
not  only  by  its  literary  associa- 
tions with  the  late  Jack  London 
but  also  by  its  place  in  the  history 
of  California.  Indian  tribes 
camped  along  the  banks  of  Sono- 
ma Creek  in  the  early  days;  there 
the  most  northern  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Missions  was  erected  in 
182.'!,  and  there  was  born  the 
California  Republic,  that  short- 
lived commonwealth  that  trans- 
ferred the  control  of  the  Golden 
State  from  Mexico  to  the  United 
States. 

Here  is  the  story  of  the  Bear 
Flag  "revolution"'  of  1846  as 
related  by  Professor  Hunt  in  his 
history  of  California: 

"On  June  14.  at  the  break  of 
day,  a  party  of  some  thirty-two 
Americans,  with  Ezekiel  Merritt 
as  a  sort  of  leader,  surrounded  the 
house  of  Gen.  M.  G.  Vallejo,  the 
leading  resident  of  Sonoma  and  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  men  of  California. 
Vallejo  was  not  looking  for  an  enetny  and 
of  course  was  taken  wholly  by  surprise; 
he,  his  brother  Salvador,  his  brother-in- 
law,  Jacob  Leese,  and  Victor  Pruden  soon 
found   themselves   prisoners   of  war. 

"  'To  whom  are  we  to  surrender?'  asked 
the  wife  of  General  Vallejo  in  utter 
amazement.  And  when  it  was  learned 
that  no  one  of  the  party  claimed  to  have 
any  definite  orders  from  Fremont,  there 
was  a  scene  of  great  confusion.  Some 
wished  to  back  down  and  leave  the  place, 
others  held  that  if  they  failed  they  would 
be  little  better  than  robbers  and  horse 
thieves. 

"The  whole  project  seemed  likely  to  be 
abandoned  when  William  B.  Idc  made  an 
earnest  appeal  to  his  comrades  to  stick  to 
the  task  they  had  begun  with  honorable 
motives.  That  speech  turned  the  tide  and 
made  Ide  the  real  leader  of  the  Bear  Flag 
revolution.  Sonoma  was  captured  and  the 
distinguished  prisoner  was  conducted  to 
Fremont's  headquarters,  then  to  Sutter's 
Fort,  where  he  was  given  the  best  accom- 
modations the  place  afforded,  but  he  was 
constantly  guarded. 

"Ide  remained  at  Sonoma  with  twenty- 
four   men    to   make    secure   the    conquest. 


Neither  Ide  nor  Fremont  tlien  knew  that 
there  was  war  between  the  United  States 
and  Mexico;  moreover,  Ide  seemed  to  feel 
uncertain  as  to  what  were  Fremont's  real 
wishes  on  the  wliole  question  of  the  revo- 
lution. 

"Nevertheless  Ide  was  ready;  he  sug- 
gested a  declaration  of  independence  and 
a  republic  of  California.  A  flag  was 
needed.  So  the  famous  Bear  Flag  was 
made.  Benjamin  Dewell,  one  of  the  latest 
survivors  of  the  party,  tells  us:  'The  flag 
was  made  in  the  front  of  the  barracks,  just 
at  the  left  of  the  door,  and  most  of  the 
sewing  was  done  by  myself.  Bill  Todd 
painted  the  bear  and  star  with  black  ink. 
The  colors — red,  white  and  blue — were 
used  because  they  were  the  colors  of  the 
United  States  flag.  The  bear  was  selected 
as  representing  the  strongest  animal  found 
in  that  section  of  the  country.  The 
language  of  the  flag  was  'A  bear  stands  his 
ground  always,  and  as  long  as  the  stars 
shine  we  stand  for  the  cause.' 

"The  native  Californians,  watching  the 
movement  of  the  Americans  with  idle 
curiosity  and  taking  note  of  the  proclama- 
tions that  Ide  was  nailing  to  the  flagpole 
almost  daily,  were  more  puzzled  t'.ian 
angered.  Some  of  them,  looking  up  to  the 
oddest    of    all    flags    they    had    ever    seen 


floating  at  the  top  of  the  stafl^, 
and  evidently  not  impressed 
by  the  artistic  finish,  were 
heard  to  call  out  'Coche!' 
('Pig!'). 

"A  simple  organization  was 
agreed  to,  and  the  men  of  the 
Bear  Flag  party  were  divided 
into  three  small  companies 
with  Henry  L.  Ford,  Granville 
P.  Swift  and  Samuel  P. 
Hensley  as  captains.  Idc  de- 
clared that  it  was  his  oliject 
'to  establish  and  perpetuate  a 
just,  liberal  and  honoralile 
government,  which  should  se- 
cure to  all  civil  and  religious 
liljerty;  insure  s^ecurity  of  life 
and  property;  detect  and  punish  crime  and 
injustice  and  guarantee  freedom  to  com- 
merce." 

Only  a  few  miles  from  the  historic  spot 
that  saw  the  birth  of  the  California  Re- 
public lies  Glen  Ellen,  famous  the  world 
over  as  the  home  of  Jack  London.  The 
London  estate,  several  hundred  acres  in 
extent,  combines  natural  scenery  and  a 
cultivated  area  that  reveals  the  latest 
agricultural  methods  of  intensive  farming. 
Vineyards  terrace  the  hillsides  almost  to 
the  edge  of  the  great  lake-reservoir  that 
supplies  water  to  the  entire  ranch. 
Orchards,  fields  of  grain  and  stock  yards 
are  surrounded  with  native  wilderness  that 
shut  out  the  world  and  its  woes. 

There  is  a  spirit  of  hospitality  about  the 
place — Jack  London  hospitality — that 
makes  you  feel  at  home  as  soon  as  you 
enter  the  gate.  Pedigreed  stock  of  every 
breed  and  kind  and  color;  scientific  pens 
for  the  aristocratic  pigs,  the  only  undemo- 
cratic creatures  on  the  place;  a  quaint  old 
winery  converted  into  a  blacksmitli  shop 
and  a  dormitory  for  the  workers  on  the 
ranch,  and  Jack  London's  home  and  study, 
where  he  wrote  the  books  that  brought 
him  fame — all  these  the  realities  that  came 
from  the  dreams  of  the  author  of  "The 
\'alley    of    the    Moon," 


46 


AT  THE  HOME  OF  JOAQUIN  MILLER- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


On  the  hills  overlooking  Oakland  and  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  is  the  home  of  Cincinnatus  Heine  Miller,  author  of  "Colum- 
bus," one  of  California's  greatest  poets  and  a  unique  figure  in  literature.  With  Mark  Twain  and  Bret  Harte  he  formed  "The  In- 
comparable Three"  in  Western  letters.  "Tha  Examiner"  scout  car,  an  air-cooled  Franklin,  mapped  out  the  trip  for  readers  of 
the  Automobile  Section.     The  pencil  sketch  of  Joaquin  Miller  was   made  by  V.   Nahl  of  "The   Examiner"  art  staff. 


are  readers  to  en- 
joy them. 

It  is  a  pleasant 
(lay's  automobile 
trip  to  the  Joa- 
(|uin  Miller  home 
in  the  Oakland 
ills  and  one 
which  is  long  re- 
membered. "The 
Examiner"  scout 
car,  a  new  Frank- 
lin, made  the  trip 
last      week      and 


Not  only  because  of  the  lyric  genius  of  the 
author  himself,  but  for  the  very  eccen- 
tricity of  his  mode  of  life  and  his  novelty 
of  thought  has  it  developed  into  one  of  the 
regions  of  romance. 

Joaquin  Miller  dedicated  this  pic- 
turesijue  home  un  in  the  cloudland,  where 
he  believed  he  might  even  have  converse 
with  the  birds  of  the  air,  to  imagination 
and  it  is  a  stimulating  vista  that  rewards 
the  visitor  for  his  climb  to  the  top  of  the 
forest-clad  hill. 

One  of  the  most  novel  of  the  relics  of 
Joaquin  Miller  is  his  home,  the  home  he 


'X'HKKE  arc  tlirec  world-famous  bits  of 
^  literature  that  had  their  inception 
under  the  sunny  skies  of  California.  Two 
were  the  work  of  Eastern  authors  writing 
under  the  spell  of  the  Golden  West.  The 
third  was  a  "world-poem"  by  a  poet  whose 
whole  life  was  spent  on  this  Pacific  shore. 
Mark  Twain's  "Jumping  Frog  of  Calaveras 
County"  and  Bret  Harte's  "Heathen 
Chinee"  are  still  as  laughter  stimulating  as 
ever.  Joaquin  Miller's  "Columbus"  will 
hold  its-place  in  the  poetical  anthologies 
as  long  as  critics  compile  them  and  there 


photographed  the 
monuments 
which  the  poet 
erected  witli  his 
own  hands  to  the 
spirits  that  in- 
spired him.  Mrs. 
Miller  and  the 
poet's  daughter, 
Juanita.  receive 
the  pilgrims  who 
visit  the  estate, 
and  hospitality  is 
everywhere  in  ev- 
idences The  relics 
of  the  poet,  sel- 
dom seen  by  the 
passing  motorist, 
are  all  carefully 
preserved. 

There  is  the 
p  o  e  t'  s  study, 
where  he  prepared  many  of  his  greatest 
works  and  on  the  hills  above  is  the  funeral 
pyre  erected  by  the  poet  himself  as  he 
prepared  to  meet  just  such  a  glorious  end 
as  the  poet  Shelley  on  the  gulf  of  Spezzia. 
M  the  top  of  the  hill  is  the  first  of  the 
stone  monuments,  the  pyramid  to  the  first 
law-giver,  Moses.  Then  the  tower  to 
Robert  Browning,  and  beside  the  highway 
the  gray  stone  monument  to  Fremont,  the 
Pathfinder. 

The    "Rights"   is   a   place   the    fame    of 
which  has  gone  almost  around  the  world. 


called  his  ".Abbey."  About  twenty  feet 
square,  made  of  planks  rough  hewn,  barn- 
like in  its  vacant  state,  whitewashed  and 
decorated  with  strange  symbols,  it  might 
well  be  classed  as  "haunted."  Above  the 
door  is  a  piece  of  timber  carved  in  the 
shape  of  a  crescent  moon.  Rough  slats 
were  nailed  across  this  by  the  poet  and 
designated  as  representations  of  the  rays 
of  the  sun.  To  be  sure,  you  must  use  your 
imagination,  but,  after  all,  the  place  itself 
has  been'dedicated  to  imagination  and  the 
imaginative  are  not  critical. 

Mrs.  Miller,  widow  of  the  poet,  tells 
many  an  anecdote  of  the  life  of  her  poet 
husband.  "Born  in  1841,  in  Liberty,  Indi- 
ana," she  said,  "Joaquin  crossed  the  plains 
with  his  father  in  a  prairie  schooner.  He 
was  captured  by  Indians  and  wounded  by 
an  arrow  that  pierced  his  face  and  emerged 
through  his  neck.  He  recovered  and 
escaped,  but  wore  a  long  beard  thereafter 
to  cover  the  scar.  He  went  into  the  law, 
was  elected  to  a  judgeship.  Shortly  after 
this  he  made  his  memorable  trip  to  Eu- 
rope, where  he  was  honored  as  America's 
greatest  poet. 

"It  is  said  that  from  this  hill,  where 
Joaquin  finally  made  his  home,  Fremont 
first  saw  and  named  the  Golden  Gate.  In 
his  beloved  'Abbey'  he  wrote  his  two  most 
famous  poems,  'Columbus'  and  'The  Pass- 
ing of  Tennyson.'  He  lived  here  for 
thirty  years." 


47 


THE  FOOTHILLS  OF  MARIPOSA  COUNTY- 


-AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


There's  a  world  of  romance  tucked  away  on  the  by-ways  of  the  road  to  Yosemite  Valley.  It  was  in  search  of  some  of  these 
historic  landmarks  that  "The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Chalmers,  voyaged  to  the  little  town  of  Hornitos,  "Little  Ovens."  Some 
of  the  scenes  of  this  tiny  village,  that  reproduces  a  street  very  much  like  a  modern  movie  city,  recall  the  days  of  its  founding, 
the  glorious  days  of  gold,  the  days  of  '49.    The  map  shows  the  route  via  Merced. 


T  X  the  Mariposa  foothills,  off  the  main 
■*■  tra\eled  route  to  tlie  Voscmite  \  dley, 
there  is  a  section  of  country  once  populous 
and  far-famed,  a  storied  land  of  the  days 
of  forty-nine  that  finds  it  way  not  in- 
frequently into  the  tales  of  Bret  Marte. 
Here  lies  the  town  of  Hornitos  or  "Little 
Ovens,"  and  during  the  dog  days,  when  the 
sun  is  putting  in  its  choicest  strokeS;  it  does 
not  belie  its  name. 

To  this  romantic  little  village  "The 
Examiner"  scout  car,  a  Chalmers,  jour- 
neyed last  week  and  basked  awhile  amid 
these  historic  monuments  .  of  the  early 
times.  There  were  about  4,000  inhabitants 
in  1850;  now  it  would  be  difficult  to  count 
four-score.  Yet  its  very  vacant  air,  its 
empty  streets,  its  deserted  houses,  its 
rusty,  iron-shuttered  windows  stir  the 
imagination  more  than  its  problems  of 
census. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  a  Jack  Hamlin 
parading  down  this  deserted  main  street, 
with  the  admiring  eyes  of  the  fair  sex 
peepiiig  out  at  him,  or  to  hear  again  the 
rumbling  of  the  stage  coach,  the  excited 
chatter  of  its  passengers,  feminine  shrieks 
and  masculine  profanity  and  see  old  Yuba 
Bill  lumber  awkwardly  into  the  nearest 
bar.  Truly,  a  generous  dose  of  Bret  Harte 
is  better  than  a  Blue  Book  to  guide  the 
tourist  when  he  ventures  the  way  of  the 
southern  mines. 

There  is  a  stream  near  the  town  where 
a  patient  laborer  may  secure  his  gold,  and 
in  the  nearby  hills  there  are  several  mines. 
But  the  output  is  not  as  startling  in 
amount  as  it  was  in  the  days  long  passed. 

Out  of  one  of  the  ancient  dwellings 
there  came  a  pretty  maid,  garbed  in  a 
gown  that  scarcely  seemed  to  gibe  with 
its  environment.    She  was  born  and  raised 


in  Hornitos,  she  said,  and  had  spent  five 
years  at  the  University.  Here  is  a  little 
something  she  said  that  may  increase  the 
tourist  travel  to  Hornitos  during  the 
winter  season.  When  the  rains  come,  she 
said,  many  nuggets  are  picked  up  in  the 
main  street.  These  nuggets,  washed  out 
of  their  hiding  places  in  the  auriferous 
soil,  are  carried  down  to  the  doorsteps  of 
the  dwellers  of  Hornitos.  But  the  days  of 
gold-seeking  have  passed  for  the  most 
part,  and  the  only  occupation  of  the  in- 
habitants seems  to  be  to  sit  on  the 
postoffice  steps  and  shoot  squirrels. 

In  the  center  of  town  there  are  two 
unique  buildings,  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
narrow  street.  One  was  the  old  dance 
hall  and  the  other  the  brewery.  A  tunnel 
connects  the  two.  So  it  was  easy  to 
quench  a  fiery  thirst,  even  if  a  battle  were 
going  on  in  the  main  street  of  the  town. 
And  there  were  a  few  battles  at  that. 

The  road  is  almost  all  highway,  and 
the  unpaved  part  is  good  enough. 

This  little  town  of  Hornitos  is  one  of 
the   "cities  that  were" 

Afar  from  the  paths  of  Commerce, 
Apart  from  the  busy  whir. 
The   Spirit  of   Romance   slumbers 
In  the  Land  of  The  Cities  That  Were. 

On   every   sloping  hillside 
The  whitening  bowlders  rest, 


And  all  with  a  silent  story 
Of  an  ancient  treasure  quest 

The  blue  of  the  sky  above  us, 
The  wind-blown  plain  below, 
And  beyond,   the  high  Sierras 
With  minarets  of  snow. 

Where  once  ten  thousand  toilers, 
Saw  wealth  and  hope  ahead, 
Now   ruin   and   desolation 
The  streets  in  silence  tread. 

Gone  are  the  days  of  glory. 
And  gone  is  the  treasure  store, 
And  gone  are  the  hopes  and  longings 
With  the  days  that  are  no  more. 

Yet  here  were  the  Early  Builders 
That  toiled  for  a  future  day. 
And  here  was  the  birth  of  a  Promise 
That  sprang  from  the  golden  clay. 

And  still  in  these  lonely  places. 
An   inspiration   lies — 
Where  wraiths  of  the  dead  past  wan- 
der, 
The  thoughts  of  the  morrow  rise. 

And  the  Cities  That  Are  may  listen 
And  pause  in  the  strife  and  stir, 
To  hark  to  the  song  that  lingers 
In  the  Land  of  The  Cities  That  Were. 


48 


THE  LAND  OF  BRET  HARTE  AND  MARK  TWAIN AN  'EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Between  Placerville  and  Sonora  lies  the  land  that  inspired  the  early  literature  of  California.  'The  Examiner"  "scout  car,"  a 
Haynes  "Six,"  mapped  out  the  Journey  for  the  adventurous  motorist.  In  the  center  is  the  monument  at  Coloma  to  James  Marshall, 
the  discoverer  of  gold.  In  the  upper  left-hand  picture  is  a  quaint  little  home  at  Coloma  that  dates  back  to  the  days  of  Bret  Harte 
and  which  might  have  housed  some  of  "The  Outcasts  of  Poker  Flat."  In  the  center  of  the  map  is  a  photograph  of  the  south  fork 
of  the  American  River,  a  cross  marking  the  spot  where  the  first  gold  nugget  was  found  in  California.  Below  Is  a  barn  of  the 
early  days  of  Coloma.     The  inset  at  the  left  is  of  Mark  Twain;     Bret  Harte  is  in  the  upper  inset. 


commit- 
old,  the 
days    of 


THE   name   of    Bret    Harte 
carries  with  it  the  flavor 
of    romance.     It    recalls    the 
picturesque  mining  camps  of 
the  early  history   of   Califor- 
nia, the   perilous   trips   in   the 
mountain     stage,     the     cama- 
raderie   of    the    great    out-of- 
doors,  the  notorious  deeds  of 
Black  Bart,  the  era  of  lynch 
law    and    vigilance 
tees,    "the    days    of 
days    of    gold,    the 
'49." 

There  appear,  too,  other 
shadows  of  that  romantic  period— Horace 
Greeley  and  his  memorable  journey  with 
Hank  Monk  to  Placerville,  Mark  Twain 
and  his  "Jumping  Frog  of  Calaveras 
County,"  James  Marshall  and  the  discov- 
ery that  turned  the  eyes  of  the  world  west- 
ward and  sent  a  countless  multitude  of 
treasure  seekers  to  the  land  of  promise. 

It  is  like  turning  back  the  pages  of  his- 
tory and  living  over  again  those  stirring 
times  to  visit  these  shrines  of  early  Cali- 
fornia, to  travel  the  very  paths  over  which 
the  gold  hunters  toiled,  and  feel  the  in- 
spiration of  those  scenic  hills  and  canyons 
of  the  American  River  and  the  Moke- 
lumne,  which  seem  strangely  hallowed  in 
their  garb  of  green  and  gold,  aloof  from 
the  world,  a  wonderland  of  beauty  and 
romance. 

There  is  no  more  attractive  trip  in  the 
log  of  the  motorist  than  that  sixty  miles 
which  lie  between  Placerville  and  Sonora. 
"The  Examiner"  scout  car,  a  new  Haynes 
"Six,"  mapped  out  the  way  and  found  it  a 
journey  never  to  be  forgotten.  There 
were  no  paved  highways  encountered  in 
the  trip,  but  the  roads  were  passable  and 
for  the  better  portion  of  the  way  they 
were  all  that  could  be  desired. 

In  the  days  of  Bret  Harte  Placerville 
was  known  as  "Hangtown."  The  Cary 
House,  where  Horace  Greeley  lodged  in 
1859  and  from  the  veranda  of  which  he 
addressed  a  crowd  of  miners,  is  now 
known  as  the  Hotel  Placerville.  It  has 
lost  its  dingy  coloring,  but  the  balcony 
is  still  there  and  across  the  street  is  the 
stump  of  a  tree  from  which  six  men  were 
hanged   on   a   summer's   afternoon. 

There  still  clings  to  Placerville  a  glamor 
of  the  olden  times.  Its  narrow  main 
street  banked  by  long  lines  of  stores  and 


residences,  its  crooked  alleyways  and  the 
blacksmith  shop  that  dates  back  to  the 
days  of  the  gold  seekers,  all  set  well  into 
the   picture. 

There's  a  bumpy  road  winds  out  to  the 
quaint  little  town  of  Coloma,  where  James 
Marshall's  discovery  of  gold  on  January 
19,  1848,  made  California  the  goal  of  the 
world's  adventurers.  Bumps,  however,  are 
forgotten  when  you  find  yourself  within 
that  picturesque  canyon  of  the  south  fork 
of  the  American  River.  There  are  the 
old  iron-shuttered  houses  that  sheltered 
the  pioneers,  there  on  the  bend  of  the 
river  is  the  very  spot  where  the  first 
nugget  of  gold  was  picked  up. 

The  American  River  was  calm  as  a  lake 
and  on  its  surface  were  reflected  the  great 
crags  that  guard  the  canyon.  The  old 
houses  were  covered  with  Concord  grape 
vines  and  the  town  itself  seemed  a  verit- 
able graveyard  of  memories  on  which  the 
sound  of  the  motor  car  grated  discordant- 
ly. 

In  the  days  of  Bret  Harte  Coloma  had  a 
population  of  probably  10,000  and  its 
"business  district"  was  made  up  of  sa- 
loons, dance  halls  and  faro  banks.  Here  it 
was  that  a  number  of  gamblers  and  other 
persons  of  ill  repute  were  driven  out  and 
this  incident  furnished  the  inspiration  for 
the  "Outcasts  of  Poker  Flat." 


Returning  by 
way  of  Placer- 
ville we  drove 
to  Plymouth 
over  roads  that 
only  the  beauty 
of  the  scenery 
made  endurable. 
Few  of  the 
mines  were  op- 
erating, as  most 
of  them  had 
closed  for  the 
winter  months, 
and  the  camps 
through  which 
we  passed  were  almost  deserted. 

We  passed  through  Amador,  Sutter 
Creek  and  Jackson,  all  still  guarding  their 
relics  of  the  early  days  with  many  an  iron- 
shuttered  shack  that  must  have  aflforded 
excellent  protection  for  the  inmates  when 
the  atmosphere  was  too  full  of  bullets  for 
comfort. 

Just  before  reaching  the  town  of  Moke- 
lumne  Hill  we  crossed  the  Mokelumne 
River,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
streams  that  flow  through  the  deep  can- 
yons of  that  wild  mountain  country.  It 
was  a  wonderful  picture  in  color,  the  au- 
tumn tints  of  gold  and  green  and  brown 
on  the  mountain  side,  and  the  water  rip- 
pling over  the  great  boulders  below.  It 
hardly  seemed  real,  so  gorgeous  were  the 
tints  as  the  sun  was  slowly  sinking  at  the 
end  of  the  canyon. 

San  Andreas,  the  next  town  we  visited, 
was  the  scene  of  Mark  Twain's  funny  yarn, 
"The  Jumping  Frog  of  Calaveras  County," 
and  it  is  in  the  bar  room  of  the  Metro- 
politan Hotel,  which  is  still  standing,  that 
the  incident  which  inspired  the  story  took 
place.  Nobody  was  "at  home"  when'  we 
passed  through  the  town.  Not  a  human 
being  was  to  be  seen,  but  we  heard  from 
over  the  hill  a  mighty  shout  of  several 
hundred  voices — -San  Andreas  was  attend- 
ing a  baseball  game! 


49 


EL  CAMINO  REAL  AND  THE  RIDGE  ROUTE- 


-AN  ^EXAMINER'  MOTORLOGUE 


Two  of  the  most  famous  highways  in  the  world  are  California's.  The  first,  the  Coast  route  to  Los  Angeles,  travels  the 
way  of  the  Padres  from  Mission  to  Mission,  while  the  second  traverses  one  of  the  richest  valleys  in  the  world,  the  San  Joaquin, 
and  receives  its  name  from  one  of  the  greatest  engineering  feats  of  the  modern  age,  the  scenic  concrete  path  that  travels  over 
the  mountain  tops  between  Saugus  and  Lebec.  The  trip,  going  and  coming,  was  an  "all  high"  gear  jaunt  for  "The  Examiner" 
scout  car,  a  Kissel  Tourster  model. 


"King's  Highway," 
or  the  "Royal 
Road"  is  the  poetical  name  be- 
stowed on  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment trail  that  joined  the  mis- 
sions from  San  Francisco  de 
Solano  to  San  Diego.  It  was 
the  route  selected  by  the  Fran- 
ciscan Fathers  as  the  most  di- 
rect and  practicable  highway  to 
connect  the  four  presidios,  three 
pueblos  and  twenty-one  mis- 
sions. This  now  paved  road 
which  skirts  the  coast  has  been 
called  "the  most  historic,  pic- 
turesque, romantic  and  unique 
boulevard  in  the  world." 

John  S.  McGroarty,  in  "Just 
California,"  has  described  it  in 
verse : 

It's  a    long    road    and   sunny,  and 

the   fairest    in    the    world — 

There   are    peaks  that   rise  above 

it    in    their    sunny    mantles 

curled. 

it     leads    from     the     moun- 
tains   through    a    hedge    of 
chaparral, 
Down    to    the    waters    where    the    sea    gulls 

call. 
It's  a  long   road  and  sunny,  it's  a  long  road 

and   old, 
And    the    brown    padres    made     it     for     the 

flocks   of   the   fold; 
They  made  it  for  the  sandals  of  the  sinner- 
folk  that  trod 
From  the  fields  in  the  open  to  the  shelter- 
house,  of   God. 
The    Mission    stations,    each    distant    by 
what    in    the    days    of    their    founding    was 
considered   "a  day's  journey,"   add   an   in- 
terest to  the  journey  down   the  coast  that 
is    increased    by   the    remarkable    vistas    of 
the  sea  as  the  route  pierces   the  mountain 
ranges    and    parallels    the    strand.        From 
San    Francisco    to    San    Diego    the    Pacific 
shore    oflFers    a    variety    of    scenic    interest 
unrivaled. 


The  entire  distance  of  446  miles,  or  with 
the  present  detour  in  the  neighborhood  of 
470  miles,  contains  approximately  400 
miles  of  pavement  in  the  best  of  condition. 
The  remainder  includes  everything  from 
choppy  asphalt  to  somewhat  lugubrious 
going   over   short   unpaved   stretches. 

The  return  trip  from  Los  Angeles  over 
the  ridge  route  is  an  excursion  gver  tire 
only  highway  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 
From  the  heart  of  the  city  out  San  Fer- 
nando blvd.,  through'  the  Ncwhall  tunnel, 
the  beginning  of  the  serpentine  moun- 
tain pavement  is  reached.  So  well  have 
the  engineers  done  their  work  over  this 
thirty-mile  stretch  that  it  is  estimated  there 
will  be  no  need  of  repair  for  a  generation. 
At  Rose  station  the  motorist  reaches  the 
thirty-mile  straightaway  over  the  level 
sands  to  Barkersfield  and  as  level  a  road 
of  concrete  stretches  from  the  oil  fields  to 


Fresno,  a  hundred 
miles  farther  on. 

The  mileage  on 
the  valley  route 
is  415.3  miles,  as 
compared  with 
nearly  470  on  the 
coast    route. 

A  trip  to  Los 
Angeles  is  the 
best  way  in  which 
to  find  out  how 
good  our  own 
traffic  system 

really  is.  Every 
hamlet  or  suburb, 
as  well  as  every 
street  of  the 
southern  municipality,  seems  to  have  a 
different  parking  rule,  and  the  unwary 
visitor  is  almost  afraid  to  pass  through 
town  for  fear  of  an  appearance  at  the 
police  'station. 

There's  little  leeway  for  speeding,  either, 
and  the  result  is  a  general  feeling  of  mo- 
torists that  if  they  can  get  away  with  any- 
thing they  are  warranted  in  going  the  limit. 
They  have  excellent  roads  down  there, 
but  many  that  are  sadly  in  need  of  repair. 
There  are  many  things  we  can  learn 
from  Los  Angeles  in  road  making  and 
road  maintenance;  there  are  many  things 
Los  Angeles  can  learn  from  us  in  the  way 
of  handling  traffic.  As  the  two  cities  are 
brought  closer  together  by  the  world- 
famous  El  Camino  Real  and  the  equally 
famous  Ridge  route,  it  will  mean  a  better 
understanding  and  both  will  benefit  by  the 
exchange  of  ideas. 


50 


m 


xnmincv 


the  Oi»iiic# 


The  Leading  Automotive  Medium 
of  the  Pacific  Coast 


t*i     -^     -J* 


Publishes 

More  Automobile   Advertising, 

More  Features  of  Interest  to 

Car  Owners  Than  Any 

Other  Newspaper 

in  its  Field 


6AYLAM0UNT 

PAMPHLET  BINDER 

ManufacturtJ  hg 

&AYLOR0  BROS.  Im. 

Syracut*,  N.  Y. 

Stockton,  CM. 


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crp  1  0  iqoo 

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General  Library 

University  of  California 

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